His Moves like Jagger
by pinkpocket23
Summary: Definition Badass: One Hot Bod, red eyes, and a sharp tongue that came with one oversized ego. Somehow or another, I became a sucker for a cocky attitude. "Like it or not Mikan Sakura, you're stuck with me." MxN #3
1. His Ego

**Disclaimer: **All rights belong to Higuchi Tachibana.

**His Moves like Jagger**

**.**

**Chapter 1: His Ego**

**.**

"This. Is. Stupid."

Those were the exact words running through my mind and constantly running from my mouth.

"This is… stupid! Why in the world are you making me go through with this?"

A lot of girls would be blessed ─ oh so lucky to have one considerable girlfriend who could at least understand her share of complaining. One best friend who would pat her back in reassurance, talk about her problems while sharing a nice, large cup of Blue Bell chocolate ice-cream, and give her great advice while sharing tears.

Sadly, that little dream didn't apply to a poor thing like me.

"Do you ever shut up?"

Dragging me along by my arm, my best friend refused to listen to me whine. Her amethyst, violet eyes pierced through my own as she continued to force me to move.

"Oh please," Hotaru droned out a sigh in annoyance. "Quit it with the dramatics. You sound like one of those nagging housewives from those reality TV shows."

Hoping to prevent myself from being dragged along any further, I scuffed my shoes against the concrete to slow down the pace. "It's so unfair," I protested in defiance. "I didn't decide for all this to happen. I didn't want a date, Hotaru!"

She rolled her eyes in return, not at all fazed. "Move those legs, Mikan."

This was getting hard to bear. I wasn't ready for this.

"Hotaru," I pleaded her, "please don't let me go through with this." I gripped a tight hold to her hand as she came to a good stop. "If you really are my best friend, (and I _know_ that you are), then you wouldn't let me go through with this. Am I right?"

Flipping her raven tresses with a sigh, Hotaru simply crossed her arms. "Oh, I wouldn't?" she challenged me, quirking a brow. "You're sure about that?"

I gave a confident nod. "You wouldn't. Not l-like… like this!"

To add a little more drama, I pointed to myself as given evidence. The outfit sported by Hotaru wasn't one that I was too fond of. It showed more skin than my normally conservative personality could handle.

On this lovely given chilly night for a Monday, my entire outfit was anything but comfortable. I wore frilly pink floral top especially presented by Abercrombie & Fitch. To match the flirtatious top, I wore a pair of denim shorts, which were a little too short in my opinion. Still, I had to admire the idea that they did make my short legs appear to be a lot longer than what they were.

Hotaru studied me from the bottom up, keeping a finger to her chin. "It doesn't look that bad," her monotone voice replied indifferently.

"Doesn't look that bad?" I repeated, scrunching my nose. "Look, we both know that I'm not Abercrombie & Fitch material. Hotaru… I look like a hooker!"

"A hooker with taste at least," she retorted while straightening out a few strands of my auburn hair. "I'm glad that we decided to curl your hair at the ends. You look great."

"Please, let's just call this whole blind dating thing off? I want to go home."

"And do what?" Hotaru challenged, sarcasm hinted within her voice. "Stay locked up in your dorm while drooling over those stupid posters of Mick Jagger posted all over your wall?" It was amazing how she could make that sound like a pathetic fact. "Knowing you Mikan, I bet that's exactly what you'll do."

I crossed my arms, staring back at her with pride. "What's wrong with that?" I challenged back, not at all ashamed.

Yes. It's true. I'm a huge fan of… No wait… I'm a crazy fanatic _fan-girl _for the hot, worldly famous, seductively attractive idol, Mick Jagger!

I would give anything to kiss those big lips of his. And let me just say, there is absolutely _nothing_ wrong with having a crush on someone like Mick Jagger. Sure, he may not look as hot as he used to like back in his prime time. Still, he was _**the**_ Mick Jagger! He had a right to get away with anything. And I had a right to be his loving and endearing fan.

"Those posters happen to be my prized possessions, just so you know," I announced proudly. "Do you know how hard it was to come by posters with all the members of The Rolling Stones? I even got a sweet deal from some old creep on the internet for just half of the ones that I have already. I've kept them sacred and safe since ninth grade. I've-"

"Since ninth grade?" Hotaru interjected, putting a finger underneath her chin. She stared at me in disbelief, her face keeping that same stoic expression as if she weren't really all that surprised. "You're really serious?"

I tucked my tongue in for a moment, pondering over that question. "W-well," I stuttered out unsuccessfully. "Really it's not that-"

"Ninth grade, Mikan?" she repeated again in a way that made me feel pathetic.

Finally appearing to get the idea, I decided to just shut my mouth.

"…I see your point."

She smiled in triumph. "Good," came her confident reply as she took me again by my wrist. "You'll thank me for this, trust me. Face it, Mikan; I'm doing you a favor." She picked up her pace as she continued to lecture me. "Your life is grey. You need an outlet. You're a college student who does nothing but go to work, study, go to school, and then repeat the same process all over again. Shouda and I are afraid that you'll turn middle aged before you even hit twenty-four. This blind date will do you some good."

"Shouda?" I asked, half surprised by what she just said. "Wait a minute, hold on. You mean to say that Sumire has a play in all this?"

"Not really," Hotaru shrugged and continued to pull at my arm. "She just agrees with where I'm coming from. Besides, I told you that Ruka was the one to help set up this little date. So, you can relax."

Relaxing was the last thing on my mind right now. I go out looking like a tramp, am forced on a set-up date with some guy I don't even know, and she tells me to relax.

"You sure Ruka knows this guy?" I asked skeptically.

"That's why I said you can relax," was Hotaru's only drawled reply. "This guy should prove to be interesting for you. Ruka and I both know him, and I'm sure that you can tolerate a little fun for one night."

My brows furrowed into a displeasing scowl in which she simply grinned triumphantly knowing that I no longer had a desired say. We continued to pass our way through the many crowds of people, crossing over to another sidewalk as we neared closer to another building. Before long, our few brisk strides for walking had guided us to our destination.

We came to a halt just beside the front of a nearby restaurant. My eyes widened in admiration at the size. The building practically towered over our small frames, glistening with a certain luxurious glow coming from the exquisite structure of cool marble. It was an all too perfect priceless piece of work standing right before my eyes.

"That's just like your boyfriend, Hotaru," I said with a shake of my head, still gawking at the huge size of the restaurant. "His popularity as a world class chef precedes him. He can actually set up a simple blind date in a restaurant this big? It looks expensive!"

My best friend gave her signature grin as she casually folded both her arms. "Naturally," she said in expectance. "Ruka knows how rich my taste buds are. I had him provide this special occasion especially just for you."

"Still," I continued on while pointing at the building in awe, "he could get it this expensive?"

This girl just didn't know how good she had it. A handsome top notch chef for a boyfriend _and_ a free ticket to a five star restaurant? Incredible…

Hotaru frowned in return. "Stop acting like some five-year-old kid in a candy store, Mikan. Shape up. Fix your hair." More or less, she pretty much decided to fix it for me. She smoothed out my curls to add an extra light bounce to its length. "Now, Listen up. You're going to go in there, and find a seat on a waiting bench."

"And do what?" I asked, already not liking the sound of 'waiting' at all.

There was a small hint of irritation that glinted in her eyes. "What do you think? Just sit there and look pretty, idiot. Man you are so…" She sighed out in frustration before poking a finger at my chest. "Don't. You. Mess. This. Up."

"Ow?" I dramatized, rubbing the sore spot. Those finger points to the chest really do hurt.

"Mikan, I'm telling you not to go and act stupid. You never know if this guy could turn out to be some… celebrity or something like that."

I rolled my eyes. A celebrity? Yeah, right. "Yeah, sure Hotaru," I snorted sarcastically.

"I'm serious," Hotaru replied sternly. "I'm betting all or nothing on this little date. He'll sweep you off your feet somehow." She looked off to the side and muttered, "And he'll sure as hell get your mind off that damn Mick Jagger."

Pretending to be hurt by that comment, I covered my mouth in shock. "No man can ever replace my beloved Mick Jagger!" It was true. I had a lot more fun daydreaming over sexy celebrities and fictional characters, rather than wasting my time on all the _real life _men in the world. "You're such a cruel person, Hotaru…"

She snorted at my display of love. "You embarrass me," she sighed with a roll of her eyes. "I'm doing you a big favor for your love life, idiot. Just… try to stay sane. Okay?"

Giving a small smirk of amusement, Hotaru turned to walk off, bidding me a small farewell with a wave of her hand.

"Remember, Mikan," she called back to me over her shoulder, "I want a good turn of events. Don't disappoint me without getting a few digits. Have fun."

**Thirty minutes later…**

So, just like that… I'm sitting idly by… alone. On a waiting bench… abandoned by my best friend… inside an expensive five-star restaurant.

The air from the vent continued to blow chills down my arm. People kept looking at me as if I were extra added baggage to the waiting bench, while most of them were left to stand up as they waited for their table. This was a little embarrassing… Just how long has it been anyway since I've been sitting here? I flipped out my pink blackberry to catch the time.

My eyes narrowed at the given hour: 9:45pm.

Well, look at that... It's already 9:45 freaking _p_ to the stinking _m! _Wasn't this supposed to be a blind date? Maybe I didn't know who the guy was and all, but… still. It was rude to keep a girl waiting for someone who might not even show up.

I sighed to myself, drumming my fingers over my thigh. "I knew it… This turned out to be a bad idea after all."

Clicking my tongue with a sour glum of frustration, I slowly arose from the bench when suddenly...

_"...I see a red door and I want it painted black. _  
><em>No colors anymore I want them to turn black."<em>

Just when I was about to give up all hope, _The Rolling Stones: Paint It Black _started echoing loudly from my phone.

I furrowed my brows at the unfamiliar number and pressed the call button.

_**Click!**_

"Y-yeah? Who's this?" I asked skeptically, a bit unsure of whom I was speaking to.

For a good while the other end of the line remained stirringly silent.

"…This Mikan Sakura?"

What the… How often did something like this happen? My mind went blank for a split five seconds before I irresolutely answered, "That depends. Who is this?"

Silence…

"Who _**is**_ this?" I tried to confirm the caller once more.

"You're here already. That's good." From the rugged tone of voice, I could assume that it was a guy. "From here on out, I want you to do exactly as I say. Understand?"

Once again, my mind went blank. "Wait just a… Who in the world _is_ this?" I could hear my voice rising in agitation. "What is this, some kind of prank call?"

He sighed from his end of the line. "Just like Imai said. You have a loud mouth after all." His husky voice stated that comment as if it were and undeniable fact. "Just play obedient for a while and listen. Or do you not want to have this date?"

"Date?" Alright, he definitely had my attention. "Does that mean that y-you're… my blind date?"

He laughed with a snort, apparently amused by my question. "And you do sound just like a child. Naturally." I heard him breathe through his line. "Just follow orders, and you'll find out. Get up and make a left turn from the first nearby booth that you see."

First nearby booth? That should be easy enough to find. For some odd reason, whatever it was, I began to comply with the given instructions. Suddenly, I found myself standing up of my own free will and doing exactly as the husky voice had instructed me to.

"Good job." He paused for another moment. "Next, take another left from the fifth table and head straight."

"Where are you taking me exactly?" I demanded him. This was getting a little too weird. "Does this mean that you can see me, but I can't see you? Who are you anyway?"

He gave another pause in between his line.

"Hello!" My patience was beginning to run thin. "I asked you a─"

"Just do as I say," was his swift given response. "Do as I say and you'll see for yourself."

I pouted my cheeks. See 'what' exactly? This was supposed to be a date. A date! So why did I find myself talking with some mystery guy, who could probably be a weirdo for all I know, and obeying every given order that he was giving me?

"There now," I made my voice evidently upset as I complied with his given order. "Happy now?"

I could hear him laugh with another snort. "Very. Now, take a seat at the middle table just in front of you."

My eyes scourged through the many tables that I was steadily approaching.

"Middle table, middle table," I repeated to myself. "Middle… Oh! Found it." This felt a little awkward, playing scavenger hunt on a supposed first date. Nonetheless, I made my footsteps forward for said direction, coming to a good stop at the middle table. "What now?"

His voice remained silent for a few more seconds. I was just about to huff out another irritated response until he broke out from his quiet end of the line.

"Take a seat."

That didn't sound too right. I furrowed my brows in response.

"Say wha-?" _**Click!**_

Wait a minute… He hung up… He actually hung up! The guy gives me a given order just like that, makes me waste my energy for walking, and then brushes me off by hanging up on me. Great… Just great! I took a look at my phone just to make sure that he was no longer there. Yep, he was gone for sure.

"This just… What the hell is going on?"

I took a good look about my surroundings before deciding to slowly take a seat at the appointed table. Hoping to get an answer I redialed the mystery number and waited patiently for a response. No good. The phone continued to ring off the end for what seemed like forever. I sighed dejectedly, giving up on the idea.

Wasn't this supposed to be a date. Now that I think about it… this was my first date, period. Well, this was a short lived dream where I most likely got stood up. Now, I would have to go wailing back to Hotaru, coming back to my dorm without so much as a few numbered digits for me to brag on about. Not that I minded about getting stood up, but it certainly wasn't a likeable feeling.

I sighed again and touched the screen of my phone to find the sweet smile of Mick Jagger displayed as my screensaver.

"Oh Mick…" I muttered to myself while letting my finger lightly brush over his pearly-whites for a smile. "Why couldn't you be my mystery guy instead?" I sighed again as I pondered over the reason _why_I had consented to the idea of taking on this weird night in the first place.

"Mikan Sakura?"

As if on instinct, my ears were automatically attuned to that one familiar voice. It was the same husky voice that I been talking to on the phone. My shoulders scrunched up to my neck as I slowly turned my head around. Then right there… my jaw nearly dropped low.

He was… handsome ─ gorgeous, maybe? Although he had on a pair of black tinted shades covering his face, it was no lie that he was without a fact, handsomely attractive. His messy raven hair spilled all over his face in a way that only he could pull off. What took me by surprise the most was his outfit. He wore a pair of black leather pants… _Black _leather pants!

They fit his torso perfectly, shaping him as if he were a modern world model. His black leather jacket made him look exactly like a character right out of the Matrix! Only thing was… it just seemed to fit him ─ almost too perfectly to be exact. It took me a while to realize that just about everything he was wearing came in all black. Black leather pants, black leather jacket, black hair, black shades…

"You're her, right?"

That same husky voice caused me to snap out from my trance.

"O-oh… Mikan Sakura?" Like the idiot that I was, I pointed to myself. "Y-yes that's me. But, uh… who─"

"Right."

He didn't even let me finish as he took his seat. It was as if he didn't miss a single step of his swift movement as he slumped down.

He seemed to be in calculation while saying, "Brown hair, brown eyes, small height. You can't miss it. Even so," he looked from the side of the table to catch a small glimpse of my legs, "…there's not much to look at from the bottom down. What a waste."

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Did he just say what I think he did? This guy had the nerve…

"Excuse me?" I asked , obviously offended by his blunt comment. "What exactly did you just say?"

Even though I made it apparent that I was upset, he didn't seem to pay me any mind. He kept his focus to my legs for a brief moment before finally shifting upright in his seat.

"So then," he began, while placing an elbow on top of the table, "this is the face of my little blind date." His shades glistened underneath the light coming from the small lamp from our table. "You definitely didn't turn out to be much like I expected, that's for sure."

This was… strange. Normally, I should've responded with an _"Oh yeah, well you were exactly like I expected. An egotistical jerk!"-_ response, or something really cool to rub it in his face. But for some strange reason his sharp tone of voice somewhat… turned me on?

I must have been in another one of my silly dazes, because that's when I noticed a sly grin crept upon his face. He cupped the bottom of his chin, leaning over on his elbow as he looked at me. "It's no fun if you're in love with me already," he joked, teasingly.

..._Egotistical jerk_.

"W-what are you talking about?" I instantly defended with a fold of my arms. "Some jerk like you has the guts to say rude things to a girl on a first date? You should watch that bad mouth."

This only seemed to amuse him. His brow slowly arched as if to taunt to me. "And I'm assuming that a little girl like you has never had a first date?" He sneered at my silent response. Of course I didn't answer. "Just like I thought. You're definitely the naïve type. That spells out Mikan Sakura for you."

_Thump! _My fist pounded angrily upon the table.

"Okay, now you just stop right there! Just because you know my name doesn't mean you can sum me up as if you know me as a person. You've been nothing but rude since the moment I heard your voice on the phone or even before I had the chance to take notice of you." I pounded the table again. "I don't like your attitude, not one bit. You have such a big ego and that's something that I can't stand in a guy. Even if you are cute, you don't have the right to talk to me like that."

All of my anger management for words didn't even faze him. He just sat there in his seat, one hand still cupping his chin like he was waiting for me to finish.

"So you think I'm cute?" he stated the question as if it were a world renowned fact.

That was it! My heart was beating fast, speeding out of control. And for what? A guy I didn't even know who just so happened to be ridiculing me right in front of my face.

"I've had enough of this," I said, abruptly arising from the table.

Keeping his lax position, my date simply took the time to stare at me. "What are you doing?" he demanded authoritatively, as if I were committing a crime.

My body tensed in nervousness from his harsh tone, but I kept my bold character. "What does it look like?" Yeah, that's it. I had to show him that I wasn't afraid. "I don't have to stay here and take this. I'm leaving!"

"No you're not. Sit back down."

What the hell? This guy… just ordered me to sit down; not as a simple gesture but as if I were like a small child being scolded from her parent. I stared at him in disbelief.

"Who the-"

"I said… Sit _down._" His voice was much more demanding this time around, lathered in a smooth, seductive coat of velvet. It practically sent shivers upon the hairs of my arms.

I gulped twice, my legs shaking like they were unsure as how to move. My mind was telling me to leave, but my entire body was unwilling to comply. Even so, I found myself slightly turned on by his confident aura. I decided to sit down…

"Now then," he flipped off his black tinted shades, finally revealing his face. "I guess we can go ahead and get straight to the point."

Another skip from my heart came about. I suddenly stumbled upon another interesting fact about this overconfident man.

Not only was my mystery date a fan of black leather and coldly demanding… but he also had ruby-red eyes too! And I don't mean just any simple ordinary color of red. I mean the actual blood crimson: R. E. D. where the color resembled the striking cover of T_wilight: New Moon. _It was a dangerously yet intimidating shade, one that instantly made my insides melt.

"Are you listening?"

"H-huh?" I could feel my cheeks start to get hot. Oh no… Was I blushing? "What did you-"

"We won't have our date here," was his swift drawled response. His crimson eyes still held my gaze.

I stared back in awe for another brief moment. "What… do you mean?"

His lips slightly curved into a smirk that nearly put a stop to my heart. "Really an airhead, aren't you Mikan?" Funny how he could call me by my given name as if he had known me forever. Still… I had to admit, the sound of my name stemming from the tip of his tongue made me melt. "Let's face it, these strange events were misleading at first right?"

I slowly nodded, "Y-yes…"

"Alright, then," he flipped his shades back on and studied the area about us. "Although this place proves to be promising in taste," he sighed lightly, "I'd say that we should spice up your first blind date. Don't you think?"

"So then… Ruka is the one who sent you?" I asked him curiously.

He snorted, like the answer was obvious. "My best friend? That's the one, alright. It's his fault I was dragged here in the first place. He's a world class chef with good taste so… I guess that explains this huge restaurant." His focus returned back to me. "Cut to the chase?"

Once again, I found myself slowly nodding, "Y-yes…"

"Alright." Using one hand, he reached into his pocket of his leather jacket and pulled out a small crumpled wad before smoothing it out. "We'll take things easy now. I know your name and now, it's your turn to guess mine." He handed me the piece of paper. "We'll have our few dates to get to know each other. More or less, you'll be the one getting to know me. So," he clicked his tongue, "naturally, I'm giving you permission to give me a call."

I studied his numbered digits for a moment and hesitantly lifted my gaze to look back up at him. "Our few dates?" I asked him. "And… call you within─"

"At least one day," he interrupted, holding up a finger. "Not two, not three, just one. Understand?"

After such a bold declaration like that… what could I say? The words were clear as day what he had just said, but I found it hard to let everything settle.

"You want me… to call you? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

He simply shrugged his shoulders and slowly arose from the table. "Maybe," his monotone voice replied smoothly. Then, a small, sly grin played at his lips. "But you've got to admit. This makes things more fun. I'll prove to be more than your regular Mick Jagger, you know."

No. He. Didn't.

Did he just brush off the legacy hotness that my beloved Mick Jagger was worth? Comparing it to himself? This guy had such a big ego. His confidence proved to be something that you don't come by often, that was for sure.

He must've noticed the disgust upon my face as he sneered a small scorn of breath.

"Don't get so upset. You really are a fan-girl, aren't you?" he laughed in a husky tone that kept me tongue-tied and left me strangely attracted.

I blushed, looking away to the floor. This guy really knew how to push buttons when he wanted to. Then suddenly, I found my hand moving on its own.

Before I knew it, the mystery guy was making my heart beat up a storm again. He took me by the wrist, slowly lifting it to plant a small kiss just upon the back of my hand. I could feel him grinning into my skin as he felt me tense.

"Soon, you'll be falling for me before you know it. Next time, I swear I'll behave."

My mouth dropped… low. This was the first thing close to a real kiss that I had ever received. He simply responded with another cocky grin and just sent my heart pounding away.

Keeping the same smug aura about him, he aired a small wave with the back of his hand. "Remember," he said while turning to walk off. "I expect a call in one day, no more than that."

My blush deepened even more as I could only watch him take his leave. Doesn't that mean that I'm supposed to see him again? One thing is for sure… this had turned out to be a very odd night for a blind date. I frowned to myself in thought.

"Crap… I think I got turned on."

**- (Preview) -**

Then right there… my mouth stopped. My breathing stopped. My entire _world_ literally stopped.

**"...I never take no, for an answer, Mikan Sakura."**

He was just so damn conceited...

"**This… isn't going to happen…"**

**.**

Natsume may be a little OOC in this story. Hm. Well now, I would just love to be in Mikan's shoes for a blind date like that. Hope you liked it^^

**Thanks for reading! **

**~pinkpocket23 **


	2. His Kiss

**Disclaimer: **The story is mine, the characters are not.

**A/N:**Just a heads up. This will be a five-chaptered fan-fic in which I plan on adding another fun story to follow up with this one. I'd hate to bore all the many awesome readers who enjoy the NxM pairing, so I wanted to do something fun with this story. Thanks so much for the awesome support! :)

* * *

><p><strong>.<strong>

**Chapter 2: His Kiss**

**.**

Red eyes… The color red was the only thing shifting through my mind right now.

How strange… There weren't that many guys around the world that had red eyes. It wasn't your everyday thing to see an attractive guy walking around with messy raven hair and crimson eyes that could penetrate through the soul.

"Mikan..."

Come to think of it... he was really hot. It was… strange. I can't believe that I─

"Mikan..."

─actually met a guy in real life with crimson red eyes. Maybe those were contacts. Yeah, that just has to be it. That couldn't have been his real eye color; he was just messing with my mind.

"Mikan!"

I still can't believe that an arrogant jerk like that actually demanded that I call _him_ instead. If I really think about it, that blind date was nothing like a typical date should've been at all. Why in the─

_**Whack! **_

"Ow!"

I winced in response from the hard given slap stinging to the back of my head.

"Geez… What the heck was that for?" I turned my irritated expression towards my best friend. "Hotaru? What gives, huh?"

Hotaru held up a black checkbook in her hand, guilty as charge.

She appeared to be indifferent as her monotone voice stated, "You were spaced out." She removed a few raven bangs from her face as she stared right through me. "I had to get your attention somehow."

This girl was just as cold as ever…

"That really hurt, you know," I growled sourly through gritted teeth. "What, no tap on the shoulder or light pinch to the arm to get my attention?"

She rolled her violet eyes, ignoring my complaints. "Table six," she simply replied. "We've got a customer that just got situated not too long ago. Here," she handed me the checkbook, "go make yourself useful and see if he's ready to order. Time is money, you know."

Remembering my present situation and present time of place, I sighed dejectedly and unwillingly took the tab book from her hands.

That's right… this is no time to be daydreaming. There was work to be done as a modern day college student. Being a college student meant having money, and having money meant having a job, and having a job meant working my butt off for that extra dough. Having extra dough meant two things: Cash. Money.

To my distress, I was sadly wasting a perfect day for a Friday afternoon, putting on my daily routine as little maid waitress in Central Café. Though I hated the idea of displaying so much skin for a simple way to get food on the table, I did like having a small outlet. It gave another side to my usually conservative self, so I guess the job did come with good perks.

I chewed a little on my tongue as I tapped the pen on the top of my checkbook and skipped my way to table six. Fixing the ruffles to my French couture layered skirt, I was quick to put on my "happy face" as I flashed an angelic smile to my appointed customer.

"Good afternoon, sir," I chirped in a bubbly tone. "Welcome to Central Café! What can I get for you today?"

He cupped his chin within his palm and ruffled his hair as he frowned. I did my best to hold back the continuous tapping coming from my right foot. Clearly, he wasn't able to order just yet.

His eyes shifted back up to me as I fixed my frustrated glare back into a warm smile. "I'm not ready just yet," he concluded, rubbing his head apologetically. "Give me some more time, please."

"Okay then. Please let me know when you're ready." I gave a courteous bow and twirled a few auburn strands around my finger for an extra added cuteness.

It took just about everything for me not to throw up while I noticed him admiring my figure and flirting another smile right back to me. Being the kind hostess that I was, I made sure to hold my cute smile and nearly trudged my way back behind the counter as I came to stand next to Hotaru.

A sigh escaped my lips as I gave a good stretch of the arms.

"Well, that was a waste," I droned as I whipped out my pink blackberry. "The guy didn't even want anything yet. Man, my Friday is so dead today. _Boring._"

Hotaru shrugged her shoulders and busied herself with counting out a few wad of tens.

"Just be ready to take his order down. If he's willing to eat then that means money is willing to come out of his wallet. By the way," I could feel her stoic gaze being shifted towards me as she finished off counting out money, "would you stop spacing out already? You've been doing that since you clocked in."

My stance went rigid as I sulked upon the counter and cupped my chin with one hand still holding my phone. "I wasn't spaced out for your information. I was just thinking."

Hotaru sighed, folding both her arms over her chest. "How long are you going to continue to stare at that screen?"

My brows creased into a small frown as I grunted irritatingly under my breath. She was right. For the past two hours that I had been here, it didn't occur to me that I had been staring blankly at a certain number upon my screen. A certain number of a certain _someone _of whom I had strangely, yet, most achingly fallen head over heels for. Though, I wasn't stupid enough to admit it...

"I was just… playing around with my touch-phone, that's all," I shrugged off my flat lie, pretending to sound disinterested.

It didn't matter how much of an act I could put up. Hotaru could_ still_ see right through me. She gave a snort of her own as she rolled her eyes. "Why don't you just suck up your pride and call him already? It's been three days, Mikan."

I ignored her, turning my attentive gaze to scribbling doodles within my checkbook. In all honesty, I wouldn't mind calling up the hot mystery guy for a bit of entertainment.

Here I am, wasting my youth away in a little small town café, daydreaming away about what life could be like outdoors… in the arms of my beloved Mick Jagger, kissing those sweet, sweet lips that can drive any given woman mad and...

"And stop drawing crappy scribbles in that checkbook already," came Hotaru's sharp tone, interrupting me from my thoughts. I could tell that she was fed up from being ignored. "You don't have any tables to wait on today, so I know that you're just brushing things off." Her eyes narrowed at me this time, obviously tired from my long given silent treatment. "Are you still upset with me?"

"Upset?" I let my eyes flash over to my best friend and snorted out, "Oh, no. One night, my best friend just so happens to set me up with some random guy for a random blind-date who by the way, was very rude and was constantly putting me down, and who also happened to have a very huge ego. My night ended in confusion where he only left me his number and nothing else, leaving me all alone at an expensive restaurant without so much as any other information." I shrugged simply. "Why would I be upset?"

"You are upset," came a matter of fact tone from behind.

As if making her random cue for an appearance, fellow co-worker and best friend, Miss Sumire Shouda, came to join our little conversation. She flipped her perm-like green bangs from her face, giving a small sashay to her already dramatic swaying hips as she clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction.

She turned to Hotaru and snorted, "Heard the date didn't do so well. So she flunked that bad, eh, Imai? Heh, after all that hard work too…"

I glared up at her while cupping my chin. "So you were in on all of this," I stated accusingly.

She swatted her hand in the air and laughed haughtily, "Hardly. I only helped Hotaru suggest an outfit for you to wear for your first date, that's all. Besides," she sneered while studying my hair, "you needed all the help you could get. A young girl should at least _look_ attractive you know. That pigtails look is so outdated."

"Right," my lips thinned into a small grin. "You mean, at least look like an easy flirt like you always do?"

My point proved right. Sumire was always wearing things that showed too much skin. Today, for instance, she was wearing her petite and prissy little skirt hilted high way above her thighs with the ruffles giving an extra pop to her long slender legs.

"The required uniform doesn't say anything about advertising the upper thighs, little miss know it all. You're out of dress code."

"Humph! You're just jealous, that's all." She swiveled her nose in the air. "This _is_ a maid uniform after all. Besides, it's not my fault that I know how to get the job done in attracting men here for a good meal. Don't take it out on me just because you got turned down on a first date."

"For your information, I didn't get turned down. And it wasn't even a first date, we didn't even order anything!" I pulled out my proof for evidence, unfolding the wad of crumpled paper that I received three days ago. "Look. All that guy left me was this sheet of paper with his number written down on it."

Sumire blinked twice, studying the sheet before gawking in disbelief. "So, it's true?" she turned to Hotaru to confirm things, "Her date played out exactly as follows. Mystery guy leaves only a number but no name?"

"That's the story at least," Hotaru shrugged simply. "He left like a modern day Cinderella, leaving nothing but a glass slipper behind. Playing it cool alongside a horrible impression. That's so just like him…"

"Wait a minute, Sumire," I started, while tugging at her wrist, "so you mean to say that you actually don't know who the mystery guy is either? Hotaru and Ruka seem to be the only ones that know him as far as I can tell."

She shook her head, "Nope. Nada. Even if I did know who he was, you probably would've found out from me a long time ago. You know it's not in my nature to keep secrets."

I nodded my head, musing over that true fact. She was right…

"But, hey, you know what?" Sumire flipped her bangs as she came to lean over on my shoulder. She pinched my nose and grinned, "If that mystery guy of yours turned out to be a cutie, I'd just might have to steal him from you, Sakura."

I rolled my eyes, pretending not to care. "Go for it. I don't like him anyway."

That was a lie… and she knew it.

Her green eyes studied my face for a long silent given moment. "You're such a liar, do you know that?" I tensed at her blatant comment, knowing that it was true. "Still, it's a win-win situation for me if he's single and you don't plan on calling him." She titled her chin to the side, eyeing me carefully. "…Do you plan on calling him?"

Hearing the question, Hotaru decided to pay an earful attention as she leaned in closer. They both stared back at me, desperately waiting to hear my answer, eager to know what my thoughts were.

I grinned and confidently replied, "No chance."

Expecting the answer, Sumire rolled her eyes. "I knew it! Sakura's fate is tied to being a virgin forever. A forty-year old virgin." She added extra drama by facing her palm to her head. "Oh, cruel world! To think that I would stay friends with an old woman who hasn't even got any─"

"You should call him," Hotaru pegged at the topic as she gave a light punch to my arm. "It's been three days, idiot. The least you could do is talk to him."

"I'm not doing it, Hotaru. When it comes to relationships, on a first date, the guy is always supposed to call the girl first. That's just the way it is. If the girl turns around and calls the guy, it will make her seem like she's desperate."

"As if you actually know how a relationship goes," my best friend challenged. "You've never even had your share for a first boyfriend, which in turn for a college student is quite sad. Trust me, Mikan. You're making a big mistake by letting this one go. Don't pass this one up just to continue your silly fantasy over Mick Jagger."

"Oh!" Appearing to be fed up for words, Sumire flailed her arms dramatically in the air. "Enough with this already, gimme that phone!" She reached to snatch away my pink blackberry from my hand. "This is the number that you were looking at while spacing out, right? We're calling him right now."

"Hey! Give it back!" My hand went for the one shot in snatching it back from the little pest, but her long legs proved to be too much for my sad excuse for being 5'3inches in height. "Come on, quit playing around, Sumire. Quit it!"

She easily evaded another one of my attempts, grinning to herself. "Let's put it on speaker, shall we?"

"Sumire!" I could only watch on in horror as I saw her thumb press down on the call button. "Don't! What are you─?"

"Here," she simply said before pushing the phone to my face. I so badly wanted to punch the little weasel right now. Her laughter turned into excitement as she forced me to hold the phone. "It's ringing, it's ringing! Get ready to answer."

For whatever stupid reason, I suddenly found myself holding the phone.

"What are you doing?" I shrieked, almost mortified just by hearing the speaker ring aloud from the screen. Then, suddenly, everything began to settle in. My eyes widened. "Oh, my… Oh. My. Gosh! It's ringing!"

Hotaru snorted at the two of us as she continued on with her routine for counting money. "So get ready to answer, already."

"Yes!" Sumire squealed out. "Get ready, get ready!"

If I were completely sane right now, my stupid self would've just immediately ended the call right there. But in the end, another side of me really and most definitely wanted to make this call.

The phone only rang about five times before a click was heard and then, came a lazily spoken, "Hello?"

"Ah…" My mouth went dry.

That was him… It was him! I'd recognize that strangely seductive silk-like voice anywhere. My mystery guy actually picked up the phone, and like the idiot that I was, my only response was a jaw-dropped given _'Ah' _where the freaking words that were tucked behind my now dried tongue didn't even slip out.

"A-ah…"

A small moment of silence passed, and for some strange reason, I could just picture _him_ smirking through the phone.

"…Mikan Sakura."

"Oh, crap!"

_**Click! **_

Before I realized it, my finger had immediately seized the end call button. "Oh, crap…"

What I had just done was stupid, irrational, and unspeakably past the word, d. u. m. b. It felt like being a part of one of those sleepover moments where a best friend dares you to call up your childhood crush, and like a spineless coward, you chicken out and hang up.

"You shouldn't have done that," Sumire's eyes narrowed at me scornfully, her voice clearly hinted with disappointment. "Ah! And to think that was your one shot at getting laid. Sakura, you stupid childish little girl for a woman…"

Restraining myself from cussing up a storm, I glared daggers at her. "Well, excuse me for not jumping onto the band-wagon for being an easy 'A', Sumire. You know that I didn't want to talk to him! Now you just-"

"You're pathetic," she cut me off easily, and sighed. "Face it Sakura, you're destined to play the singles card for the rest of your life. I offer you freedom and this is how you repay me."

"…Sumire," I snarled slowly, "I swear… if you─"

"You're going to regret doing that."

I lost my thought for words, turning my irritated glare at the raven haired girl beside me.

"Yeah?" I said, challenging Hotaru's words. "And why is that?"

She stared at me blankly for five long seconds, rolling her eyes as if deciding to give up. "Granted that the guy you just hung up on is hardly patient for fools, I highly doubt that he'll be happy when he sees you. He's sure to chew you out sooner or later."

Ha! That'll be the day. I held back a laugh.

"You're kidding, right? I don't need to be worried." Though, I found that fact really hard to be convincing… "He could be anywhere for all I care. What, it's not like he has the ability to track me down all the way here or something, right?"

Hotaru arched a skeptic brow. "He could if he knew how to find you. Who knows? He could be on his way right now."

"…How would he know that?"

"If I told him where you worked," she replied impassively. "In which case I did… just for kicks."

I stared at her in disbelief.

"Hotaru… You didn't…" The only response that I got was a small grin forming at her lips and then suddenly…

_**Ding!**_

The chime of the bell could be heard as the door swiftly flew open.

"Hey, check it out! That guy looks super sexy-chic."

All three of us redirected our attention towards a blonde pointing towards the direction of the entrance. Before long, a group of girls had gradually started to flock together like a herd of sheep as they squealed in excitement. It wasn't long until the whole café had erupted into giggles and awing admiration.

"Check out hotness over there," another girl squealed to her friend. "He looks like Natsume Hyuuga, doesn't he?"

"No way, get out of here," another girl chimed in. "The guy is drop dead gorgeous, but that couldn't be _the_ Natsume Hyuuga."

"What!"

For some reason the excitement was enough to send Sumire flying to her feet. Her eyes lit up as she tried to skim over the directed area.

Then, as if eyeing a 50% off sale sign on an all-time shopping spree, she threw her hands up in the air and squeaked, "Hot guy alert! Hot guy alert!" She jumped up and down excitedly and grabbed hold of her tab book. "Finally, an attractive man decides to come in. I call dibs!"

Curious as to what the hell was actually happening inside of a café' of all places, I stood on the tip of my toes to catch a good glimpse towards the front door.

"What's the big deal? I don't see what everyone…"

Then right there… my mouth stopped. My breathing stopped. My entire _world_ literally stopped.

Just before my eyes, stood a familiar handsome raven haired man wearing a sexy black leather jacket that had caught my eye from the very moment we had met. He was wearing his signature black leather pants that normally only Mick Jagger could pull off. This time he had on a black fitted Muscle-Tee that even from afar, I could see shaped his outer appearance perfectly.

"It… can't be!" Did my eyes deceive me? "It just can't!" Or did this subject of topic happen to the very same mystery guy that I had a blind date with?

I gulped, seeing a raven haired hunk standing idly by with both hands shoved into his leather pockets while wearing those same black tinted shades. Maybe my thoughts were said aloud, because right at that moment, his sense of direction was instantly focused upon me.

His lips were quick to curl up into a sly smirk as I mouthed the words, _"Oh, shit," _unable to fully grasp what present events were actually taking place right now. That was all it took for him to immediately begin making it his mission to stride over towards my direction.

His charismatic charm for confidence must have been one to light up the room because at that moment, all eyes were set intently on him.

Female customers were quick to stop with the idle chatter as they shifted in their seats to catch a glimpse at the stunning heartthrob. I took notice of other fellow maid waitresses who didn't pass up the chance to grab his attention as they nearly scratched and pulled at each other's hair to assist him to a table. He ignored them, casually passing them by with his sole attention directed at me.

"No way!" Sumire squealed a surprise of her own in disbelief. "That guy really _does_ look like the hot rocker, Natsume Hyuuga…! And he's coming this way!" She jumped up and down as she pinched her cheeks, then, reached over to pinch my own just to convince herself that she wasn't dreaming. "Tell me this is a dream, Mikan!"

Sadly, to my dismay, this was definitely no dream…

I gulped twice, and once gaining the only reactive nerve that seemed to comply, immediately ducked cowardly behind the front counter. It was evident that he had already reached to where I was. I could hear his distant footsteps becoming louder and louder and then, slowly coming to a halt. My eyes immediately shut tight and I mentally prayed to myself that he would go away.

With my eyes still closed, I could hear an irritated snort heard just above my head.

"You've got a hell lot of guts to hang up on me like that." It was pretty clear who the owner of that rasp, cut-throat sarcastic voice belonged to.

Wincing a little in fear, I kept my eyes shut tight, refusing to look up. This was a dream… right? A hot guy popping right up out of nowhere for a girl at her job… Stuff like this only happened in the movies.

Suddenly, I could feel my weight being shifted upright out of nowhere. I heard Hotaru mutter something under her breath as she forcefully hauled me up by the arm.

"Finally," my best friend held tightly to my wrist while shifting me forward. "It took you long enough. Your little brunette is all ready to go. That is why you came here, right?"

He gave a small snort of his own with a curt given nod. "More or less," he responded nonchalant. "I had planned on coming here a lot earlier, but it took me awhile." He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and flicked it from his thumb. "These damn directions that you had given me were poorly written. Couldn't you have done better?"

I could _not_… believe or even _fathom _the event that was occurring right now. My jaw dropped low as I eyed Hotaru in awe.

She kept her same composure, lax as always. "You're always the drama queen. That's one thing I'm glad that Ruka hasn't picked up from you. Now," she gestured her head towards me, "are you going to take what you came for or not?"

Sumire's eyes flashed in between me and the raven haired hunk, then back to me again. "No way… Sakura?"

"What the hell?" I ignored her, refusing to believe what was currently happening. My brows creased into a frown while stuttering out, "H-Hotaru! W-what the heck do you think…"

A sardonic laugh caused me to shift my attention back to the tall figure decked in black. He flipped off his shades, revealing those same strangely seductive pair of crimson red eyes.

His voice was silk-like smooth as he spoke, "Mikan Sakura."

"Y-yes?"

Man, I was so disgusted with myself right now. I could hear my own voice squeaking out in a high peep like some timid little girl. Did he really have _this_ much of an effect on me? This fast?

His eyes glinted in amusement then gradually hardened. "You didn't call on time," he said bluntly.

Call on time? Oh… right. I suddenly remembered that one night from three days ago.

"I-I forgot," was my simple lie. My eyes decided to flicker off to the side as I mumbled, "It escaped my mind."

Of course, he didn't believe me. He snorted back in return, leaned over the edge of the counter, then lifted up three fingers. "Three days," he started slowly, "It's been three damn long days since I last heard from you. I gave you simple instructions but even a dimwit like you couldn't even do that much."

Yep. This was definitely my mystery guy alright. The same mystery guy who at one point, could make my heart go a flutter with butterflies, and then, send me to crash and burn from his coarse words at the very next.

I frowned, highly displeased by his rude comment. "Y-you arrogant jerk! Who the heck are you to go saying things like that?" By this time, much of the squeals had died down and everyone had pretty much started staring at us like we were aliens from some distant galaxy or something. "How can you come up here at my job and say something like that to me so easily? Your ego is just as bad as the last time."

Naturally, he didn't seem fazed by my anger at all. "So you were thinking about me after all," he pointed out. "That proves my point then."

I stared back at him, arching a brow. "W-what point?"

He simply shrugged as if already having the answer. "That you'd fall for me. What else?"

"H-how…T-that's so not true," I defended quickly, unable to get my words together. "I don't have anyone to fall for but─"

"But Mick Jagger?" he finished my sentence for me. I could feel a blush creeping to my cheeks as his lips crept into a sly and confident grin as if hitting the mark. "We went through this already, remember? I'm the one guy in your life that's going to win your heart over your insanely fandom obsession. Now, hurry up and get your skinny behind away from the counter."

This overly pompous and arrogant creep sure had a bad habit in saying things so easily like nothing in the world bothered him. It was like he just decided to wake out of bed and came to the decision in doing whatever the hell he wanted for the day!

"What, are you crazy? W-we can't go out today!" I protested him.

He didn't seem too happy with that answer. In a split second, his grin fell to a displeased scowl.

"Why the hell not?" he demanded.

"Well, hello?" I emphasized with the wave of my hand, swirling it around the area. "This just so happens to my place of employment? Of which I find hard to believe that you actually tracked me down in the first place. A date can wait. I have a shift that─"

"Ends now."

He didn't even bother to let me finish as he instantly pulled me by my wrist. Before I knew it, he was leading me away from behind the counter, swiftly pulling me along with him.

"I never take no for an answer. Like it or not Mikan Sakura, you're stuck with me."

"The hell?" was my only surprised given response. He was just so damn conceited…

I tried my best to break free from his grasp, but let's face it. This man proved to be one with great strength and force. It was hard for me not to find admiration in a man who could take charge of any given situation. I liked it… But like hell was I going to let it show.

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded, doing my best to shake my arm loose. "Let go. Let go right now!"

He didn't answer, nor did even bother to acknowledge my bickering defy. It was like he easily dismissed my share for complaining, as if ignoring the constant buzzing coming from an annoying pest for a fly. More girls started to stop and stare as we neared the front exit.

One brunette jumped up and down excitedly and pointed, "He looks _exactly_ like Natsume Hyuuga!"

"Natsume! Natsume Hyuuga?" another girl squealed out while holding up a pen. "Natsume! Please sign my shirt!"

"No, wait! Sign my shirt first! Look over here!"

The many chirps coming from the overcrowded bunch of fan-girls had started to erupt once more. They were holding out their hands, beckoning him, pleading him for attention as he simply passed them by. I took notice of a pink, frilly garment flying just above my head. What it just me or did I actually witness someone just discard their bra…?

My eyes studied his tall-lean back as he (non-too gently) continued to pull at me by the arm.

I knitted my brows together in curiosity.

_Natsume?_ _Is that his name?_

Was he this famous where he had a bunch of deranged fan-girls nearly clawing after him? I brushed the thought away, trying to figure out how all these strange events were steadily occurring all in one day.

**.**

Sometimes I _really_ hated my personality trait at how easy going I could be to just go with the flow.

I didn't really put up much of a fight when I found myself being dragged away from my job by some handsome stranger and forced into a sudden date.

We were sitting at our own secluded table in a five star restaurant at this present given time. Two lovely candle light lamps were situated on either side of a small flower vase to decorate our table for European décor. My hand reached out for my glass cup that had currently been instilled with majestic, red wine.

I finished off my last swig from the corner of my stained glass, taking it whole so that I could at least get the one strong substance that would hopefully satisfy my need for staying sane.

Sighing to myself after the taste, I noticed the raven haired man grinning ever so smugly to himself. For some reason, I couldn't help but think that he found it far more than amusing to see me so flustered.

He reached over for a wine bottle before tipping it towards my glass cup.

"It's got a good kick to it," he said smugly as he re-filled my glass for me.

My palms were becoming sweaty as my fingers fiddled with my still enwrapped silverware. The mood just wasn't right. Here I am sitting in a luxurious fancy restaurant looking silly as ever, dressed in my café maid attire that did _not_ go unnoticed by the many gawking glances from nearby tables. And my prince charming for a date?

He sat lax, well composed, one elbow propped lazily upon the back of his chair. He wasn't at all fazed by my now burning glare for annoyance that I was giving to him from across the table.

His head cocked to the side with an arched brow. "Would you stop glaring at me like that?"

I snorted to myself, taking another whole swig from my glass. It was rather annoying. He had such an easy going attitude and overconfident aura. I rolled my eyes, "Why are you doing this?"

Somehow he appeared to find the agitation within my voice somewhat amusing. He grunted with a shrug of his shoulders. "Because," his raspy tone answered simply, "you didn't call me back in the given prepared time like I had instructed you to. I get my way when I want it. Get used to it."

My eyes squinted in return, narrowing almost, as I tried my best to scrutinize my mystery guy for a stalker's thoughts.

"What's with you?"

"…What?"

"You. This. Us." I emphasized with the wave of my hand around the restaurant. "This is just… so damn crazy and weird." I started to count off the initial evidence from my fingers. "Not only did you show up as some unsolved mystery for a blind date, but you actually know me by my name, know that I'm a huge fanatic fan-girl of Mick Jagger, know my personality traits, know where I work… you─" I scrunched my nose, trying to convince myself by what I was saying, "-are just so… difficult. I-I can't read you!"

He simply smirked at my flustered expression and picked up his wine glass before getting a good swig.

I attempted to try again, "…Who are you anyway?"

Appearing to ignore me, he set his wine glass down and directed his focus to playing with his fork. "Did you figure out my name yet?" It was obvious that he was trying to switch the subject.

"I think… maybe I did. I believe so."

"That right?" He ceased from fiddling with his fork and titled his head to look at me fully. His brows arched into an inquisitive look. "Give it a shot?"

I folded both arms over my chest, still wondering about the big "mystery" sitting just across from me. "N-Natsume," my voice stuttered hesitantly, "…Natsume Hyuuga. Am I right?"

His tongue clicked as he grunted, "Hn. Lucky guess."

"Well, yeah," I slurred sarcastically, "when you have a million girls squealing out your name at the top of their lungs, it's kind of hard to miss it."

He raised both brows as if consenting to that thought.

"Hm, point taken," his words mused out aloud while he took the time to take another light sip from glass. "Guess you got a free hit on me that time."

"So…" I tried to find my thought for words, "…I take it that you're… a celebrity?"

Propping one elbow upon the edge of the table, his hand cupped under his chin, and as if on instinct, he let his crimson red eyes peel over his tinted shades to flash up at me.

"I'm that obvious?" he teased, letting his lips thin into another sexy, smug-aleck grin. "I happen to be a very famous rock star, little girl." He took another sip from his wine and quickly added, "Not to mention lead guitarist. Just so you know."

I gulped twice, swallowing another big swig from my own glass as I stared at him in full focus. His grin was just too much. If I keep it up by mixing in the already boozed feeling from my past five alcoholic beverages, I just might lose it…

I stared back at those seductive lips that were now teasing me as they curled into a taunting grin.

"This… isn't going to happen…"

He cocked his head a little to the side, quirking an inquisitive brow at the statement. "What do you mean?" his husky voice asked me as he placed his knuckles underneath his chin, pretending to be interested.

Damn his stupid Casanova charms for working my heart up at a time like this. He was no rookie to this game that was for sure.

"You… stop that…" I could hear my words slur out from the tip of my tongue this time around. Oh crap. The alcohol was starting to take effect. "Stop it right now."

"Again, I'm asking you," he kept his lax composure, holding back a laugh. He flipped off his shades and simply asked, "What exactly do you mean, Mikan?"

_Thump! _I pounded my fist to the table in irritation.

"That! Right there!" I pointed accusingly at him. "You're trying to d-do that… sexy, husky… silky mystery voice all on me again. Just stop doing that. I-I… can't make my mind say no right now. Damn…!"

His brows creased into a small frown. Maybe I had said the wrong thing to him or something, I don't know. Whatever the reason, he was now leaning in even closer towards me, gazing those tantalizing crimson red orbs that flickered underneath the small fire coming from our candle-lit lamp.

His voice was silk-like low and hostile as he spoke.

"Mikan Sakura… Not that I know what a… 'sexy, husky, silky mystery voice' is, but," he moved in a little closer, "I can guarantee you that if it's the one thing guiding you straight to me… then I'll continue to pull those strings. I have a lot more fun at playing the bad guy in games like these." He smiled coyly. "I promised that I would behave the next time that we met, but…"

I didn't even take notice when he reached out to lightly pull at a few of my auburn strands. This was getting a little more dangerous than what I had expected. This man… was just so damn sexy and ultimately seductive in his own way. Another grin crept at his lips.

"…I don't plan on holding back, knowing now that you have an Achilles hill."

His voice was practically lathered in velvet. Even in my drunken state, I put two-and-two together and figured it out… He was doing this on purpose!

Clearly, he must've noticed that I had just now caught on to his little game as he laughed scornfully while twirling a few strands of my hair around his finger.

"You're too easily offended." His voice was melting me again. I couldn't hold back for much longer. "Playing with you like this really does lighten my mood, you know."

I frowned as I swatted his hand away from my hair and mustered up a comeback. "You're a… egotistic and self-centered… _weirdo_ for a pervert!" I hiccupped a small grunt as I found myself strangely getting turned on the more I stared into his hinted orbs filled with amusement. "I never─" my finger pointed at his nose, "met someone so… stuck up and stalker-ish like you. You know that, eh?"

He rolled his eyes at my pathetic excuse for words. "Stalker-ish?" he questioned me as if I were mentally insane. "It's official now, little girl. You're way past from being drunk."

"I am *hiccup* not!"

Someone needed to stop me now before I lost all reason. There was a part of me that knew what I was doing, yet the other part was telling me to let loose, go with the flow, and say _"To hell with it!" _at anything that came my way.

"I'm perfectly… sober, Mr. _I'm Too Sexy for My Shirt_."

Without realizing it, I let my finger trail from his nose to his soft, thin lips. I traced over them, feeling the thin line grin into a small smirk once more. My eyes trailed over his face as I found myself fully overcome by the handsome stunning heartthrob that was just a few inches away from my own.

"Natsume," my finger trailed over his lips again, my tongue now infatuated with the feel of his name. "Natsume, Natsume…"

I could feel his breath tickling against my neck as he neared his face closer to mine. Obviously, he wasn't complaining about not having much space for fifty feet. His lips lightly brushed against mine, ghosting over them in a teasing way that was just driving me insanely mad.

His soft, husky voice whispered out, "Mikan…"

That was enough… I had enough!

Mentally cursing to myself, I gave into my desire by taking the chance to grip a hold to the collar of his shirt, pulled him closer to my lips, and did the one thing that I had been yearning for since the moment I had laid eyes on him.

I kissed him.

It was more than just a simple kiss, it was… maddening. Lovingly yearning for a need and aching for desire. I wanted more. Maybe he was just as hungry for me as I was for him, because now his calloused hands were reaching for my neck, forcefully pulling me closer to him as his lips fervently continued to brush in unison with mine.

I moaned within our kiss, hating myself for doing so, yet so infatuated with his mouth at the same time.

His dark laughter made me shudder and go a little tense. And then… I felt it. His tongue had somehow become the alien invader that slid through my mouth and my dazed mind went past the emotion of feeling airborne.

In the back of my mind, I could picture Hotaru laughing at my foolish act right now. Imagine the little miss fan of Mick Jagger making out in a restaurant, completely drunk, and shamelessly lustful while wearing her attired maid uniform.

I could feel Natsume smirking against my lips as he continued his game. In the end, I knew that I had lost. My stupid drinking took over me. It was his game win once more with him in the lead of: 2 to 0.

_What is this man doing to me…?_

**-(Preview)-**

"**I don't care about him," **I tried to convince myself. **"I don't care about his looks, his charm, his voice, his-"**

"**Self-monologue to yourself?" **

How could an egotistical jerk with no manners and sharp tongue be so… strangely attractive?

"…**What are you playing at?"**

**.**

It got hot all of a sudden… I made poor Mikan go through such mess, haha.

I couldn't help myself in the end. Thanks for reading!

**~Pinkpocket23**


	3. His Eyes

**Disclaimer: **Rights don't belong to me. The story is mine.

**.**

**Chapter 3: His Eyes**

**.**

_There's a nostalgic aroma that's filling the air. A familiar scent of cinnamon and wood._

_Sensual and calming… Where did I smell it again? _

_It's so strangely familiar, that scent… That same scent that engulfed my nostrils that very same night that I…_

As if it were an automatic reflex, my eyes flew open immediately.

I shifted in my position with my back prone to what felt like an excessively huge, king-sized bed. My hands fiddled around with the silk satin sheets.

Taken aback by this shocking disposition that I found myself in, I mentally counted to three and once breathing in a small breath, abruptly arose from the bed as my legs came to slide off just from the edge. I winced in response to a sharp pain stinging at my head.

My hair was let loose to hang freely upon my shoulders. I removed the sheets away from my chest, gasping aloud to find that I was dressed in nothing but a large, white muscle-tee with my pink polka-dotted bra clearly visible through the transparent clothing. Another gasp escaped from my lips.

_I. Am. Not. A. Slut…_

What happened last night? The only thing that I could make out from the stinging pain coming from my horrible hangover was a pair of crimson eyes, an intensely sexually seductive scent of cinnamon-wood and… My jaw dropped in awe.

_I am not… a slut!_

Trying to restrain myself from hyperventilating, my eyes scanned about the area of the bedroom: A red mahogany coffee table, an overly-sized HD Toshiba flat screen, a bright red guitar centered in between two Rolling Stones posters, and a breathtaking view of a balcony just beside three towering glass windows.

From the looks of things, I concluded that I was presently in what appeared to be an expensive suite. How did this happen?

My thoughts immediately traced back to me being taken hostage by a certain handsome raven haired celebrity… and sitting to dine at a five star restaurant… and─

"Oh!" I exclaimed, wincing in pain from my share of a hangover. "This really bites."

Evidently something _must_ have happened. Was I really so drunk last night that I actually had the nerve driven gall to give myself away so easily on a first date? Did he ditch me in the long run after having his fun? Am I still a virgin? Was I─

"It's about time you woke up…"

I flinched in response to that one familiar voice.

Slowly, I turned my head as my eyes settled upon the presence of a handsome raven haired hunk standing right before me. Dressed in nothing but a pair of dark blue jeans, he stood leaning casually against the wall with both arms folded comfortably over his muscular chiseled chest.

A coy smile was placed upon his face. My heart pounded a little as I slowly started coming to remembrance of my little episode that involved his now thinned lips for a grin.

My brows creased together, skeptical of his presence. "What," I muttered slowly, "did you do to me?"

No answer. His eyes glinted in amusement at my question.

"What did you do to me?" I repeated again, my voice now echoing across the room in anger.

He quirked a brow this time as his voice slowly droned, "Calm down, little girl. I didn't do anything sexually offensive to you, if that's what you mean."

Wow, this guy was so simplistic…

"Oh, that's hardly worth believing," I responded sourly. "How do you explain me laying in your bed with… me being dressed only in…" I couldn't finish my words as I looked away, refusing to allow the truth of what might have occurred last night.

I didn't even have to look up to know that he was grinning. A small snort left from him as he kept his lax stance.

"Just so you know, polka-dots aren't really my thing for pure seduction. So you can get your mind out of the gutter from whatever the hell it is that you're thinking."

My eyes immediately flashed back up to look at him. I gaped at him.

"You…!"

"And secondly," he continued, ignoring my harsh gaze, "it just so happens that you got way past drunk from an excessive amount of drinking. After that, your little 'performance' (if you can call it that), at the restaurant was just pitiful. I tried to give Imai a call-"

"Hotaru?" I quickly interjected, after hearing the name of my best friend. "You called her?"

"Yeah, that's right," he sighed out, tussling at his black hair. "I gave her a call, but she never responded to any of my messages. So, I did the only one thing a guy could do when alone with a drunken female." He sighed again to himself. "I had no choice but to take you back with me to my own private suite. You should know by this time, your lack for holding your liquor became a little too heavy on your stomach. It wasn't long before you had puked all over yourself. Not to mention my expensive carpet floor. That stain won't come out for a good two years' time, you know."

At that moment, my eyes trailed over to a sherbet-orange spot deeply smudged within the carpet. Whoops. Really let that one slip there…

"O-oh…" I muttered meekly, biting my lip. "I'm really…very sorry. I didn't mean─"

"Doesn't matter," he dismissed it off easily. "I've got a way for you to make it up to me anyway."

Now at this, I had to cock my head to the side. Make it up to him? Just what does he mean by that?

He took notice of my cautious expression and grinned as he quirked another brow. "What are you thinking of, little girl? Don't get the wrong idea." He laughed huskily to himself. "I'm not going to make you do anything _immoral_. Idiot."

"Ah!" I could feel my cheeks become hot, half embarrassed at the same time. "D-don't _you_ get the wrong idea. I-I wasn't thinking of anything immoral at all. I was thinking of something else for your information." I did my best to hide the flushing blush to my cheeks. "S-so just can hurry up and tell me what the heck it is that you want me to do already."

His shoulders shrugged uncaringly. "You sure you wanna know?"

"W-well, I can't say that I'm excited about it," I admitted weakly. "But since you brought it up like this, I feel a little anxious in knowing now. So… what do you want me to do?"

He smiled, saying nothing.

"Well? Are you going to tell me or not? I'm sitting here asking you. What is that I have to do?"

He paused for another moment.

"Alright then," he started with a click of his tongue. "I'll tell you. But you'll have to promise to agree to the condition. No matter what."

"Condition?" I asked, unsure of whether or not I wanted to prompt him even further. "T-that doesn't sound…"

He didn't even bother to let me finish.

His long legs were instantly striding towards my way, and before I knew it or even had the chance to breathe out a gasp, he was already in front of me. Almost immediately, I found myself falling backwards in response to his tall, towering body hovering over my small frame.

His strong arms were placed fervently on either side of my head with his heavy, masculine defined chest nearly leaning against mine as he attempted to make himself comfortable.

Slowly, he allowed his face to near in towards my own, taking up what little space was left between us. I did nothing as I allowed him to near in closer, breathing in his seductive scent while my hazel eyes stared into his penetrating, captivating crimson orbs.

My eyes danced as if in search within those ruby pupils. Feeling a hot blush creeping up to my cheeks, I bit my lip and forced myself to look away.

I could practically feel his warm breath upon my neck as his husky laugh danced against my skin. Oh! ─ How I hated myself for getting turned on like this. Needless to say, I was enjoying every moment of his teasing. Slowly becoming overwhelmed by his voice, his laugh, his eyes, his-

"Do you promise?"

"Huh?" I blinked back twice, snapping out of my thoughts as I tried to comprehend his question. "W-what did you s-say?"

His eyes rolled a little before sighing out, "Referring to what I said. Just now? Do you promise?"

I blinked again and without even comprehending my words, I unconsciously stuttered out, "Y-yes. Okay…"

"Alright then," he grinned. "No go backs. Mikan Sakura…" He pondered for a moment while tucking a few auburn strands behind my ear. "I want you… to go out with me."

"Eh?" I frowned, confused. "A d-date? But… didn't we go out just the other night?"

"I want another one," he shrugged indifferently. "I'm not taking no for an answer. You gave me your word and I expect you to hold to it." His thumb brushed over my right cheek. "You're a pretty plain girl from up close; there's nothing to you that stands out compared to the beautiful women I've dated before."

"Say what, now?" I almost shrieked, holding back the need to give him a good slap to the face. "And those are the words of someone who wants me to go out on another date? Jerk! I can't believe─"

"But," he prompted slowly, refusing to let me finish, "I'm someone who takes a liking to interesting things. And Mikan Sakura…" He neared his face closer to mine a little more, almost to the point where our noses were practically touching. "…You are definitely something that I find to be interesting. You're a woman with guts, a little stupid in my opinion, but you've got your own beauty to you. That's something that Imai was right about."

I found it a little hard to be upset, what with him charming me up and probably still insulting all at the same time. How can an egotistical jerk with no manners and sharp tongue be so… strangely attractive?

"So then," he continued, slowly removing himself away from the bed. "I want you to go ahead and get dressed." He noticed my gawking expression and swiftly answered, "Don't worry about what to wear. Everything has already been set up for you since this morning. I've got a dress for you located just inside my closet."

He gave another small grin before making a few steps for the bedroom door.

"I'll give you at least fifteen minutes to change and situate yourself. While you're doing that, I'll be in the living room getting ready myself."

I kept my awkward silence to myself as I watched him leave.

Groaning aloud, I mentally scolded myself for me having a sudden thing for cynical snobs that came with a sexy dominating attitude. My eyes flickered over to his closet, curious to know what was just behind the closed doors.

Letting my curiosity get the best of me, I walked my way over for the closet and opened the door. Right at that moment my eyes awakened with awe-inspiring excitement. I could almost hear the angels sing at the present masterpiece set right before me.

The dress was absolutely stunning! It came in the perfect color of cotton-candy pink with an extra added touch of Spring. I reached in to take a look at the tag.

"Vera Wang!" I gasped out, covering my mouth in shock.

Natsume could actually have such an expensive brand like this brought to his door so easily? It didn't make sense! No, wait…

I rolled my eyes after considering that question and grinned. Natsume was a rock star after all. It should be no surprise to me that he could have any famous celebrity brand especially ordered into the palm of his hand within a split given second. Still… for him to actually go through all this trouble just to have it brought here for me… It didn't make any sense. I took another peek at the tag.

_Wow. He even got my size right too… _

"What are you doing, Mikan?" I sighed to myself.

Why would a celebrity do something like this… for me? What exactly was I to him? It was obvious that he must have had this whole day set up from the very get go. I mean, to actually have such a dress ordered right out of nowhere in over a night was a little insane.

I bit my lip, admiring the pink dress a little longer. "Well… I can't really let this go to waste after all the trouble."

After washing my face with a wonderful fresh aroma of tangerine-scented soap, I made the effort to get primped and ready.

There wasn't much that I could really do with my unkempt head of auburn hair, so I did my best comb out the strands and left it to hang freely upon my shoulders. Ready to face the doom that awaited me, I stepped out of the bedroom door and once catching glimpse of a raven haired heartthrob, let my mouth hang low.

He definitely defended the title for being a rock star.

Wearing a pair of skinny black jeans and a hardcore black leather jacket overlapping another muscle tee, he stood casually waiting in the middle of the living room. Once taking notice of my presence he slightly tilted his head as his red eyes rested on my outfit.

He whistled lightly. "Not bad, little girl. You look a lot hotter than what I expected. Nice."

I blushed and frowned. "S-stop being so perverted. You got me dressed up, so tell me where we're going already."

His brows rose as he snorted. "Ch, you're not much for gratitude. We're going to get ready for our date now, so let's try to have some fun." He pulled out his pair of car keys and swung them in the air before catching them in his palm. "You all set?"

"What did you have in mind? I'd like to know what you have set out for us if that's okay."

"Are you photogenic?" He smirked in response to my long given silence and confused expression. "I'll take that as a yes."

**.**

Just like that, we somehow ended up riding in his expensively bought red Ferrari.

There were no words to describe the insanely confident, headstrong, and highly proud, Natsume Hyuuga.

He was like the male version of my best friend, having that same confident cold aura and conniving way with words that could always get me to change my mind. I wouldn't be surprised if Hotaru actually happened to be related to the guy…

Our path curved into another road as the mirroring view of trees reflected from the front rear of the windshield. The clear blue sky kept my mind company as I traced back to lingering thoughts as to why I constantly found it hard to turn down the raven haired heartthrob that was currently driving me to… wherever the heck it was that we were headed.

If I truly stopped to think about it, I hardly even knew the guy. The only thing that I did know about him however, was his name, that he was a rock star, and the fact that I found his charm to be almost damn too irresistible for my own good.

"This isn't fair," I sighed dejectedly, cupping my cheek inside the palm of my hand, while leaning against the side of the passenger window.

Natsume, on the other hand, kept that same smug attitude about him.

His one hand was kept in a lax position over the steering wheel with the other rested casually upon the armrest. He arched a brow in response as he fixated his eyes upon the road.

"What's not fair?" he asked, half bored, but somehow still managing to sound interested.

I stared at him for a good five seconds before shifting my attention back out towards the window. "This whole situation," I muttered. "Everything is so… awkwardly twisted that it just doesn't make any sense."

Disenchanted stoic words breathed out, "You're one for dramatizing aren't you?"

A small twitch came from my hand as I gradually balled it into a small fist.

I scowled at him and growled out, "And why the hell not? Don't you think that I have a right to act this way? My mystery date comes dragging me out of my own job, drunks me up at a five-star restaurant, and then…" I wearily placed a hand over my head. "…And then somehow I end up at his own private suite."

"Puking all over my carpet floor," he quickly added.

"You're not helping," I whipped my head back around to force another scowl. "I can't believe my own thought to be 'best friend' actually persisted that I go out with you."

"Stop with the whining already," Natsume replied, letting out a sigh of his own. "In the end you didn't have much of a choice for the date. And for the record-" he let his crimson eyes flash over to me, "I don't recall making you drink up anything at the restaurant last night. If I'm correct, you were the one to usher over another bottle of wine to fill up your glass, more than what you could handle."

"Oh, come on," I whipped my hand in the air. "There were too many things happening all at one time, just like what's happening right now. I needed to have a few swigs to calm me down, because I couldn't seem to breathe while being around a─"

"A sexy rock star?" he swiftly interjected, cutting me off. "It's not like you can deny that fact. Face it, you found me to be distasteful from the moment we met, especially when I had the guts to insult your beloved Mick Jagger. But even despite my big ego, you still find me undoubtedly attractive." Next, he shot a wry, seductive grin my way. "Don't you?"

I don't know what it was about this man that just always seemed to get me going, whether it is positive or negative. A split gasp escaped from my mouth as I watched his lips curl into a thinned grin.

I shifted my attention back out the window, mentally cursing to myself for being a fan of the egotistical hot guys that came with a sense of mystery. I blame my past high school obsessions of Edward Cullen for making it come down to this…

"You're so full of yourself," I whispered, still loud enough for him to hear.

A low husky rumble lightly erupted from his chest. "But that's what you love about me."

Even if he did have such an unhealthy ego and a cocky attitude, I couldn't deny the fact that he was right. A small smile crept upon my lips as I considered his words.

"Jerk…"

Another few minutes had passed by, and just when I thought that the long ride couldn't get any longer, we finally came into close visualization with a parking lot. My eyes skimmed a little ahead, as we neared closer to what appeared to be a public park.

"Where are we going?" I asked, half focused on the few swings and slides through the window.

"Somewhere to have some fun," was his drawled monotone reply.

Being smooth as ever, he parked the car into a screeching stop and was quite the gentleman as he helped me out.

I did my best to appear confident as I kept to his side, but it was rather... difficult. There were two things that appeared to stand out the most as we walked through the park.

One: A tall, muscularly defined, and well-constructed sexy rock star.

Two: A short, skinny little brunette who probably looked just like a child while walking side by side a stunningly attractive celebrity.

Squeals could be heard just about everywhere coming from the goggling girls around us.

"Oh my gosh! It's him; it's him, isn't it? Natsume Hyuuga!"

"No way, that can't be him. He wouldn't be walking around in public with an ordinary girl like that. Get real."

"Seriously, it's gotta be him! Look how handsome he is. Come on, how many men do you see that often that can look _that _good?"

My eyes rolled at the comments.

I bit the insides of my cheek, trying not to focus on the attention. Not that I gave a damn about what they thought of me, but… Well, it was pretty intimidating to turn a head just about every corner to find a pair of narrowing eyes and hateful glares.

_Maybe this dress just doesn't look that good on me…_

"Stop doubting yourself."

"Huh?" I blinked and looked up to find Natsume staring down at me. "What did you─?"

He smirked a little and snorted, "You look like they're fixing to eat you."

"That's because they can?" I challenged him. "They are your fans after all. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them were planning a death trap for me right now."

He chuckled in response to my sarcastic drama. "Always one for paranoia. Little girl, you always seem to surprise me with your weird imagination."

Holding back a blush of embarrassment I grunted a little and looked away. We continued our small little walk and stopped short just in front of what appeared to be… a photo set?

Two white pillars were decorated with roses and veils of assorted flowers were hanging over the top just like a ceiling. Just behind the beautiful arrangement, I could see a magical fountain sparkling in wonder as the crystal clear water sprouted everywhere.

"W-what's all this?" I turned to look at Natsume in surprise.

"Oh, Mr. Hyuuga!" A tall handsome young man with coal black hair appeared on the scene. Appearing to ignore me, his blue eyes flashed excitedly as he approached Natsume. "You're finally here, that's great! I was beginning to think that you wouldn't show up."

"Guess you got lucky, Andou," Natsume responded simply. "Anyway, I've brought my little date to take some pictures with me for the photo shoot. She'll be posing with me."

"Oh yeah?" Andou stared at me from the bottom up as if he were musing to himself in thought. "That right…" He sounded almost disappointed. "You're sure about this? I was under the impression that I'd be taking celebrity photo-shots of a _celebrity_ and not something so─" he scrunched his nose as he drawled out the word, "simple."

I shifted underneath his scrutinizing gaze and looked down to the ground.

"N-no that's okay," I stuttered out nervously. "I-I'm never one for taking pictures anyway."

"You're taking the damn pictures," Natsume stated as if it were a law. "I didn't come out all this way just to enjoy a simple day for strolling, you know. We're taking them together. End of story."

The first thing that instantly engulfed me was the emotional feeling of doubt as I pondered over what something so plain and simple like me could do for a pose next a stunningly attractive guy like him.

"I c-can't do it, Natsume," I almost pleaded him. "Standing in front of a camera was never really my thing. I can' think when I'm looking straight into one, it's… intimidating."

He rolled his eyes at my display. "Don't think," he shrugged simply. "Don't even bother to work at posing at all."

"Don't think?" I asked him in disbelief. "Well then… What do you expect me to do, exactly?"

As if I should've expected this to happen, his signature grin played at his lips in response to my question. Next thing I know, he slowly neared his face to mine and bent his head to whisper softly in my ear.

My face flushed a deep red. I could feel my heart pounding non-stop like the faintly intimidating sound of thunder.

Before I could grasp or even perceive the next move, I felt a firm hand cupping the side of my waist, and one way or another I had been forcefully pulled into a hard-built chest and solid body.

Hoping to show a little bit of restraint I tried my best to firmly push him away. Naturally, he didn't give me any hope for resisting. His hand reached out to get a firm grip on my wrist and before I knew it, his other hand was holding me by my back, pushing me closer to his chest. I could practically feel his beating heart behind his constructed muscles, almost as if it were a dissonant drum.

I dared myself to look up at him and right then and there, our gazes locked. Everything nearly stopped. My eyes stayed still as I recalled the same words that he had whispered into my ear just a second ago:

_"Just watch me. Look into my eyes and I'll own you."_

Who can blame a girl for being caught in a spell like the one Natsume Hyuuga could easily cast? He did it without ease, holding me firmly to him, forcing me to stick to him like glue. His eyes were so… deep, vast, and alluringly attractive.

"Nice shot, Hyuuga!" Andou complimented with a snap of his camera. "Oh, have the girl turn a little to the side for me, would ya?"

"Not a problem," Natsume's stoic voice answered while flipping me a little to the left. He pulled on me a little more. "Here, get a good hold to my hand."

I gulped a little, feeling his entire body pressing firmly against my back. Obeying the given order I allowed myself to succumb to his demands, intertwining one of his hands with my own.

His nose brushed against the back of my neck as I felt his other free arm enwrapping me by the waist, pulling me closer to his chest. "Slightly turn your head up to look at me," he whispered softly.

Showing no sign of resistance, I followed his instructions with a weak given nod. Once again, like the charming prince that he was, his eyes were quick to tame my own. His crimson red orbs glistened and flickered as if they were beckoning to my entire soul.

"Great! Fantastic!" Andou snapped a few more shots from his camera. "Let's do a couple of more, alright?"

The situation pretty much stayed the same all the way through.

Natsume's eyes continued to dazzle me, making small conversation with his Casanova charm as he worked his magic. I would blush a little, fighting back the urge to chance a small peck on his lips and only gulp once I felt his hot breath tickling at my face.

After what seemed like thirty long minutes of intensely flushed blushing and the accelerating speed coming from my beating heart, the photo-shoot was finally over.

"Hey there, Mr. Hyuuga," Andou patted Natsume's back in congratulation. "This little photo-shoot turned out to be better than what I expected." He shot a wink over to me and grinned. "That girl has got some serious photogenic qualities about her. You should have her look into modeling sometime. Now that I think about it, she's really hot when you really look at her."

"When will the pictures be ready?" Natsume asked, changing the subject. I could've sworn that I saw him shoot a sharp death glare towards Andou.

"I'll have them developed and sent out to your address as soon as possible," Andou said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. His blue pupils returned to me. "It was great to meet you, Miss. You two enjoy the rest of your day."

I smiled warmly, holding back a small laugh and tugged at Natsume's arm. We nodded in return and waved him goodbye as we took our leave.

For some strange reason, I was feeling more energized than ever after taking a few pictures. It was like a lot of stress had been lifted from my shoulders.

"That was unexpected and came right out of nowhere," I said, flashing a grin to Natsume. "But I have to admit, that was pretty fun."

"Not that you were much of a pro back there," he replied boringly, swinging an arm around my shoulder, "but in the end, I'd say you did pretty well."

I responded with a laugh and one playful sock to his chest. My eyes scanned about the area until they finally came to a good stop. Almost like a little kid hitting the jackpot in a candy store, I jumped and squealed after catching sight of an ice-cream stand just afar off from where we were.

"Hey, Natsume. Look! Look!" I pointed in said direction. "They're selling ice-cream from over there. You want some?"

His eyes followed my index finger then flickered slightly with what appeared to be a hint of disgust. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to seem indifferent.

"Yeah, sure, why not? I like eating sweet things anyway…" His voice was hinted with a little irritation. "You wait here for a bit. I'll go get it for us."

I took notice of his body language, catching onto the small disgruntled sigh and lagging footsteps as if he weren't all that willing. Maybe he wasn't all that into ice-cream…

"No, that's alright," I signaled him with a wave of my hand. "How about you wait here instead and I'll go get it. Is chocolate okay?"

Holding back another look of distaste, his jaw somewhat tensed. "Yeah, that's fine," he replied impassively, scrunching his nose before looking away. He reached into his pocket for his red wallet and pulled out a five dollar bill before handing it to me. "Keep the change if you want."

I gave a small smile at his cute scowling and happily galloped my way towards the ice-cream stand.

After ordering two small cones of double chocolate, I added a light bounce along with a skip, awaiting Natsume's face once he savored the miracle taste of chocolate.

It felt strange to have an anticipating feeling fluttering throughout my chest. For the first time in my life I was actually experiencing a real date. Not just any date, but a date with a hot celebrity that was actually interested in someone like me. Such a magical feeling hadn't really settled in my head just yet. Sooner or later I would run back to Hotaru squealing my butt off.

My heart started to beat fast, knowing that the very same guy was awaiting my return. I laughed at the thought of a pissed off Natsume pouting after being left to wait by himself.

"I wonder what he'll think once he tastes…"

My footsteps came to a complete stop. I looked on in disbelief at a disturbing scene before me. It was almost like slow motion as I felt my happy-go-lucky smile become mortified and my jaw drop low.

Straight ahead seen seated upon a bench, I caught a blond haired bombshell practically glued to my rock star for a date. She had one hand securely latched around his upper arm and the other trying to feel out his chiseled chest. Natsume didn't appear to pay her much mind as she continued her idle flirting and cooed into his ear.

Just when I thought that it couldn't get any worse she giggled playfully, flipped her hair, and eased her face closer to his. And yet he wasn't even trying to move! It was like he didn't mind letting her get her way as he simply ignored her. Her lips were close enough to go for the kill and then…

"No! Get away from him!" My hands released my two cones as they plopped to the ground. "He's my boyfriend!"

Surprised by my sudden brought on cue, both of their heads sharply turned in unison with four eyes locked on me. Their expressions were blank, both of them taken aback by the demanding tone within my voice.

Natsume appeared to be the most surprised. His brows which had been furrowed into an annoyed scowl were now arched into a puzzling look.

The blond released her grip to his arm and turned to gawk up at him. "You're with her?" she asked him, scorn flickering within her voice. Her brown eyes scanned me from the bottom up before giving a haughty scoff. "There's no way, right? She's gotta just be a friend or something. I'm so much prettier than she is."

Ouch… This had to be the most embarrassing thing ever. More embarrassing than that one time where I accidentally walked into the boys restroom back in high school…

It wasn't like Natsume was stepping up to the plate to defend me either. His eyes were still focused on me with an inquisitive look as if he was staring back at a mad woman. I did my best not to let my emotions seep through, but it was no use.

I clenched my teeth, fumed out, "Idiot!" at my date, and holding back a few saltwater tears, made a dramatization for storming off.

My legs acted on their own as the adrenaline forced them to pull away from the scene. I could hear Natsume calling out my name while I took the chance to take off, but I didn't care. I couldn't care.

If I really stopped to think about it, being an ordinary college girl caught up in a fairy-tale for dating a handsome celebrity _rock star _just… didn't make sense. Natsume Hyuuga and Mikan Sakura were from two completely different worlds. There was no way I could hope to be his only female companion when he had so many beautiful women willingly throwing themselves at him every day. This was to be expected.

Unbeknownst to me, I had been drifting away for quite some time; unconsciously letting my feet drag me to wherever it was that they wanted to go. I came to a good stop at a nearby bench and breathed out an exasperated sigh as I replayed that embarrassing scene where I had just acted like a deranged fan-girl.

"You're a fool, Mikan Sakura," I whispered to myself. "A fool… What gave a simple girl like you the right to claim a hot guy like that? You're a fool."

After all, things don't just run smoothly in situations like love. Even in Disney movies the princess had to go through some sort of hell to get her happy ending.

"I don't care about him," I tried to convince myself. "I don't care about his looks, his voice, and his─"

"Self-monologue to yourself?"

My heart skipped a beat once realizing that I wasn't alone. I gasped out in shock, tensed my shoulders, and slowly turned my head to find a raven haired heartthrob staring down at me.

"Natsume?" I asked, surprised. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Why did you leave?" he ignored my question. His eyes pierced through my own as if they were demanding an answer.

I looked down to the side and pretended to be infatuated with the ground. My hands fiddled with my pink dress as my legs kicked back and forth against the green grass.

"It doesn't matter. We weren't really compatible from the start. You…" I sulked a little, feeling hesitant on my words to come. "You would probably have a lot more fun with a blond bombshell anyway. She's a lot more attractive than I am."

"What, are you going insecure on me now?" was his monotone-like sigh. He sounded just as bored as always. "I don't see why you're making such a big deal about that. She was just a woman."

I rolled my eyes. Were all men this heartless? "Well, excuse me for being considerate for once. After all, who was the one that said he was used to enjoying the company of beautiful women? I thought I was doing you some good back there."

His eyes stayed steady as they focused on me. He kept his indifferent look about him as he snorted out, "You're jealous."

What did he just say? "I…! No, I'm not. Take it back!"

"I won't take it back. I can't take it back because it's the truth."

He was never affected by my anger… Pocketing both hands into his pockets, he easily found a comfortable spot beside me as he plopped himself down and pretended to stare straight ahead.

I scooted two spots away from him. "S-so what if I'm jealous… That doesn't mean that you actually care, right?" He slowly let his red orbs slide their way back to look at me as I spoke. "You're probably used to playing this little game of yours. One minute you make a girl seem like she's so important, pampering her with a luxury dinner, a beautiful dress, and taking her out on little dates. Before you know it, you're quick to get bored with her, spitting her out like chewed up bubble-gum that's lost its flavor. Men are all the same."

"How can you say that when we've barely gotten to know each other?" he said, countering my words. "Who knows? I might be different than the category that you're trying to put me with."

"…What are you playing at?"

He let a small grin play at his lips. His shoulders shrugged as he cocked his head back. "I'm still trying to decide that myself. You're pretty hard to crack. It's not easy being with an emotional airhead."

"…I don't want to get hurt."

I felt his eyes flash to look at me. "What?"

"It happens, right?" I asked, holding back a small snort under my breath. "A girl gets swept off her feet by what she thinks to be is her own prince charming. They laugh, they kiss, and they fall in love. But…" I shrugged my shoulders. "…Next thing you know, he's no longer that prince charming that she once knew. He claims that he's gotten tired of her, and had fun in finding a new princess to fool around with. Cinderella goes back to the gutter and the dream quickly fades."

He kept his stoic gaze fixated on me for five silent seconds and said, "So, you've… experienced this before?"

Shaking my head, I scratched at my nose.

"No, but I've seen it in movies."

He remained silent for a few more seconds then suddenly, I heard him snort and practically burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" I demanded, feeling my cheeks get hot. What was with this guy? I was being serious here.

"You think that I'm going to do the same to you?" he scoffed, flashing his red eyes back over to me in amusement. "You're afraid to see that happen?"

"Well, isn't it bound to happen?" I countered back, as if the answer were obvious. "If you really stop to think about it, there's no way that a real-life rock star like you would want to hang around long with an ordinary girl like me. You'll just chew me up and spit me back out like you've probably done with any other woman. That's why…"

My palms balled into fists as I clicked my tongue and quickly stood up.

As if giving up on the thought I shook my head and sighed, "I can't do this."

Before I could even take one step forward, I felt a sharp tug come from my arm.

"You're not leaving," Natsume said sternly, holding firmly to my wrist. "Our date's not finished yet."

"Didn't you hear what I said?" Doing my best, I tried to wrangle my arm free. "I can't do this, Natsume. This just isn't going to work."

"You're afraid," he responded bluntly, ignoring my useless effort, "and insecure. You won't even give yourself the benefit of the doubt when it comes to dating." He pulled at me again, causing me to stumble backwards. "That's something that Hotaru described about you. Because of your silly little fantasy over Mick Jagger and make-believe characters, everything quickly becomes a downfall for you. You need relationship experience."

"Y-you…! Don't talk as if you know so much. Besides, we just met and just because you happen to know a few measly facts about me with the help of my best friend, doesn't mean a thing." I tried to pull away from him again and scowled. "How can you be so sure of what I need, Natsume?"

"Kiss me."

"What?" Is this guy for real? "W-what did you just─"

"Kiss me," he repeated dryly, as if it weren't such a big deal. "Kiss me and I'll prove it to you."

My heart skipped a beat at his simple declare.

"I-I…What will that prove?"

"If you kiss me," he pulled me even harder, nearly tugging me right into his lap, "then I'll show you that it can prove just about anything. Did you know?" I started to lose myself as I stared into his deep, seductive pools of red. "A man can tell everything about a woman just by kissing her. That night when you were drunk, you kissed me in a way that said you were sick of being alone. And now…"

It felt as if I was being cast under some spell. His eyes held me in place as he pulled me closer to his chest. He spoke soft and low.

"Now, I'm going to kiss you for real and tell you what I truly see in you."

Was this guy really trying to sap me up with such delusional crap? I was about to give a sharp reply but held myself back completely.

"And what if you find something that you don't want?" I asked, nervous of what was to come.

He pretended to muse for a while and shrugged. "Then I'll simply let you go. We'll go our separate ways and everything will be just as they were. You and I will be nothing but strangers." His thumb brushed over my bottom lip. "Sound like a deal?"

Too tongue tied for words, I allowed myself to be overcome by his charming spell once more. Maybe this was my one ticket out of this crazy mess. If I kissed him and he didn't see anything in me, then he would just leave me alone. I would be an ordinary college girl again.

Still, there was a part of me that really wanted this game to be an enchanting dream. Not only does he know almost every personality trait and fact about me, but he also takes charge of every given situation.

He's persistent, confident, (maybe a little too cocky and arrogant), but I… liked just about everything about him. I wanted to get to know him more. He was my very own mystery that I wanted to solve.

I was quick to hide my hopeful expression and meekly muttered, "That sounds okay."

He nodded and slowly neared his face towards mine.

"Ready?"

"Y-yes…"

Being the timid little girl that I was, I closed my eyes and waited for him to attack first. I heard him snort faintly, waited for at least three seconds, and felt his lips slowly brush against mine.

His kiss was soft at first but was quick to change into a rough pace as he pushed fervently against my mouth. He wasn't being fair… and he knew it.

His mouth covered my own and continued the few repetitive nips and suckles as he nearly swallowed my entire face. I shuddered as I felt the invading tongue take over my cavern. He had done his job all too well, so good in fact that he earned a gasp of shock from me as I tried to pull myself together. His rough hands held my face in place as he grunted and went for the attack on my bottom lip.

_Stop this_ ─ was what I wanted to shout. _Stop doing this to me when you know that you're winning…!_

Once gathering all the strength that I could muster, I found the will to finally break free from his enchanting hold. His eyes were filled with a dark lust and a deep longing that I just couldn't… really pick out. I noticed his face slowly transition into amusement as his lips curved into a smirk.

He pulled himself back and clicked his tongue. "I knew it."

"W-what is it?" I asked in hesitant doubt. My teeth overlapped my bottom lip. _I knew it… This was just too good to be true…_

He sighed a little. "Somewhere in the back of your mind you were probably hoping to win this one. But in the end, my point about you proved right. You're insecure, scared, and seem to have your head up in the clouds. Typical." I flinched a little in which his smug grin grew even more. "Not only that," he teased, "but I knew that you were a woman worth holding onto. And if you think that I'm going to let you go after this…" He pulled at my wrist, shoving me face forward towards him. "…Then, you're dead wrong, Mikan Sakura."

Before I could comprehend anything at all, he was quick to charge first.

He didn't allow me to refuse him any longer. Our lips melded into one, moving in unison as I found myself tongue-tied once again into his heated kiss. Giving up any resistance that was left within me, I quickly succumbed to his forceful temptation. A conclusion formed at the back of my mind as I continued kissing him.

Had I ever experienced the field of love? No. Had I _ever_ pictured myself ever experiencing the field of love? No. However, none of that mattered now anyway.

Feeling his calloused hands guiding me into another lustful kiss and his raven bangs tickling against my face, I concluded that Natsume Hyuuga would be my first real experience for anything.

**- (Preview) -**

**"...You prance around here like you're hanging on cloud nine."**

It didn't make sense. Why was this happening? ...Please, make this feeling disappear.

His face gradually settled back into a blank stare.

**"...I didn't mean for you to hear any of that."**

**.**

"I love you like a love song baby…"

That would be like THE perfect song for me to write a story about. But my brain's fried and I'd rather enjoy reading other fics at this moment in time.

I hoped you enjoyed another chapter of HMLJ. Thank ya folks~

**~Pinkpocket23**


	4. His Secret

**Disclaimer: **No way Jose.

**.**

**Chapter 4: His Secret**

**.**

"Mikan Sakura! Mikan Sakura, look over here!"

"Please, look this way Miss Sakura! Look this way!"

The many excited voices continued to ring like chimes through my ears. So many people had gathered together all for the sake of seeing me.

"Mikan Sakura, over here! Please look over here!"

I waved my hand, flashing a bright smile as I made my way thoroughly down the red carpet.

No matter which way my head turned, I was always met with the unexpected. Microphones were being extended out towards me. Cameras were flashing left and right. Some even tried nearing in for the one chance at getting an extra snap-shot of my face.

It was as if a sea of people were lined up on either side of me behind the red ropes with the few bodyguards that stood in the front. I couldn't shake the feeling of excitement that was surging throughout me.

This is what it was like to be a celebrity: Pure public admiration.

"Miss Sakura, look over here!"

I turned my bright smile to my left as a young woman with purple highlights approached me. She extended her microphone to my mouth and ushered over her two cameramen that came rushing from behind.

"Thank you so much for your time," she greeted professionally. "Well I'll just go ahead and get straight to the point." She did a chest cough before tilting her glasses and asked, "Miss Sakura is it true that you are the lucky girl to be called _**the**_ Natsume Hyuuga's official girlfriend? You've got to tell me! How does it feel to be with such a sexy stud?"

My tongue clicked in expectance. Ah, the old couple confirmation trick… Seriously, it was hard for me not to smug a grin at such a nonsensical question.

Cocking back my designer shades over my bangs, I fanned a hand in the air and laughed haughtily. "Well, what can I say? He and I are practically like a match made in heaven. We're like the moon and sun ─ a moth drawn to a flame. He is my sky whose arms surround me and I am the sun that brightens his soul."

Eyes widening like saucers, the reporter stared back at me admirably.

"Now that's some confidence! What a great way to finish off an answer, I couldn't have said it better myself. Okay, last question." She signaled one of her cameramen to zoom in as she came to stand beside me. "Miss Sakura, you have just got to be one of the luckiest girls in the world! Every woman has lost their hopes in getting the chance to be the lovely girl who stands arm in arm with the rock star sensation, Natsume Hyuuga. Please, look into the camera and answer to the world. Who's your number one guy? Who do you love?"

Rolling my eyes, I swapped the microphone away from her hand, cleared my throat and proudly announced to the world, "My name is Mikan Sakura and the boy that I love is Natsume Hyuuga!" I added a cute wink and a peace sign with two fingers. "Hear that? I love you Natsume Hyuuga! I love you!"

As if on cue, the surrounding crowd erupted into squeals and an undying round of applause. They roared my name from the top of their lungs as the cameras continued to flicker simultaneously.

"_Mikan…"_

Once more… I needed to announce my love to the world once more. This was my time to shine. Ready to blast my confession aloud, I sucked in a stomach full of air and let loose.

"I love you Natsume Hyuuga!"

"_Mikan, if you don't shut−"_

"−Hyuuga! I love you Natsume Hyuuga!"

"_Mikan!"_

"I love you, I said! Love you, I love−"

_**Whap!**_

Before I even had the chance to grasp what was going on, or what the hell had just been thrown at the back of my head, my eyes opened wide to the jolting shock of pain.

I let out a small shriek and felt a hard thrust as my body met an untimely fall with the cherry-wood tiled floor. Still entangled between my legs, my bed sheets came toppling over me. I groaned aloud, rubbing the back of my now aching head and blinked twice while analyzing my surroundings.

My eyes traced over the few Mick Jagger posters over my wall, an empty cup of Blue-Bell ice-cream, then gradually settled on a young woman with coal black hair whose annoyed scowl was anything but pleased.

Hotaru continued to glare while pointing of what appeared to be a novelty toy gun in my direction. She blew a light breath over its tip and sighed in satisfaction.

"It's about time you shut up. That's much better."

"Eh?" I blinked twice again and yawned. "What the hell with the rude awakening, Hotaru? You couldn't get any sleep?"

She snorted, eyes narrowing like I was the biggest idiot alive. "No," she said sourly, "I didn't get any sleep. In fact, I didn't even get a minute's _second_ of sleep. Not when I have a loud mouthed dimwit like you keeping me up all night."

"What did I do?" I asked defensively while trying to untangle my legs from within my sheets.

"You were sleep talking all night, idiot. The whole time you were screaming out your love for your _"rock star sensation,"_ Natsume Hyuuga." Hotaru groaned tiredly and slowly drawled, "It was driving me nuts."

"What?"

That one name was all that it took to send me flying to feet. Cheeks now flustered, I pointed to my best friend accusingly.

"W-what, I… I did not! You're lying, that is so not true. I couldn't be _that_ head over heels in love with the guy."

By this time I could feel my heart pounding uncontrollably. Only one week had passed ever since _**the**_ sexy and notoriously famous rocker, Natsume Hyuuga, became _**my**_ new boyfriend.

Honestly, I found it hard to comprehend how things turned out this way. The feeling hadn't settled in just yet. He was a rock star who practically swept me off my feet by resembling my beloved idol, Mick Jagger. I had never met someone so insanely confident instilled with arrogance all in one like Natsume. Still… even if the cocky jerk happened to be my boyfriend, I doubt that I would have started dreaming about him so soon.

Hotaru's violet eyes rolled in response as she snickered, "Whatever, it doesn't matter." Her head gestured towards the empty pint of Blue-Bell ice-cream that lay on the floor. "Point is, from now on you are _no longer_ permitted to have ice-cream as a late night snack. You start sleep talking as a side effect."

"I don't sleep talk. You're just trying to find an excuse for me not to eat ice-cream anymore."

"Did I mention that you're also lactose intolerant?" Hotaru challenged, arching a brow. She smirked triumphantly at the sight of my cheeks flushing red. "I wonder if your new boyfriend knows about your secret. I know that you recall the very first time that I introduced you to Ruka at the ice-cream parlor. The one in Central Town? After you finished off your vanilla shake, Ruka offered to help you out of your seat before you let out a−"

"T-that was a long time ago!" I defended quickly. "B-besides, dairy products don't make my stomach go upset that much. As long as I keep what I consume to a minimum, I'll be just fine."

"That sour odor stuck to your clothes for the longest time. I even remember Ruka feeling sorry for you because of the many laughs and gawking stares people were giving you that day."

"Hotaru! Why do you have to be so cruel? Am I or am I not your best friend?"

Hotaru only snorted at my question. "It's _because_ you're my best friend that I have to keep you in line. Do you realize how much−"

"…_I see a line of cars and they're all painted black  
>with flowers and my love both never to come back"<em>

"Oh, hell no, Mikan," came Hotaru's growled response with narrowed eyes. "That's enough, I can't take it anymore. I am sick of having to hear your stupid Mick Jagger alarm clock go off every freaking morning. Buy a new one already."

I shrugged, indifferent. "Paint It Black is a Rolling Stones classic. I can't help it if…" I cut myself off at the sight of a toy gun being pointed in my direction. "Alright, alright, fine. You win."

Hotaru sighed, scratching at her disarrayed raven hair and slowly stood up. "It's already past nine isn't it? Central Café opened up about an hour ago. We've got shifts to fill in."

I groaned tiredly, refusing to believe that work was important so early in the morning. My face buried deep into the soft cushions of my pillow as I planted myself back on top of my bed. I didn't care what anybody said; I hated being a morning person…

"Get your lazy butt off that bed and get dressed, Mikan."

"Ah, come on, Hotaru," I whined, pressing my face deeper into the pillow. "Let's be late just this once, okay?"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"But I'm really reaaallly tired, Hotaru. Please, let's just−"

_**Whap! Whap! Whap! **_

"Okay, okay, I get it! I'm up, I'm up!"

_**Ding!**_

The sounding chime of the bell came about as the many customers made their way in and out through the door. It didn't take long for Central Café to start booming with business.

The scent of cinnamon and coffee seemed to whip at the air. It felt as if I were dancing on air as I skipped all the way to my appointed table while balancing a tray of doughnuts and coffee all at one time. The ruffles of my maid uniform bounced and floated with my pace. Call me weird, but I actually felt like a fairy delivering food.

Keeping a good balance, I added a little spin to the tray like a pro and announced, "Order up!" I placed the tray on the table and in five seconds time, slid each order to each appointed customer. "One tall caramel mocha, two vanilla cappuccinos, three glaze doughnuts, and a dark latte with extra sugar."

Delighted by my promptly fast presentation, my small audience blew a few light whistles in amazement and clapped in applause. I couldn't help but grin widely. Ha! As if I didn't know how to work a crowd.

I wiped a bit of sweat away from my forehead and smiled. "Alright, folks, it's great to have you with us at Central Café. Please enjoy your meal!"

"Mikan!"

I turned my head at the calling of my name to find a fellow maid waitress running up to me. She waved excitedly as I smiled in return.

"Hey, Sakura, what's up?"

Sakura nearly squealed as she started jumping up and down. "Mikan, you've got to tell me right now! Is it true that you're dating a real hottie these days? You know who I mean. The one that came here a while back that looks like Natsume Hyuuga?"

"N-Natsume?" I asked, caught off guard. How did she know that I was dating him? "W-well, that is, um… I kind of−"

"Yes, yes, I want to know too!" Right on cue, another bubbly maid came bouncing up, wanting to brownnose her way into the conversation. "Is he really your boyfriend, Mikan? I bet he really is Natsume Hyuuga!"

Just when the talking couldn't get any louder, another maid employee decided to chime in.

"Oh, come on, get real. Mikan's cute and all but she's not cute enough to catch a rock star like Natsume. Am I right, Mikan?"

Unable to control the present situation, I rubbed the back of my head and laughed nervously. "W-well… I wouldn't really say that."

It didn't matter what words came out of my mouth. Before I knew it, people had gathered together in a circle, gossiping about the big news on how such a plain girl could get hitched with a sexy rocker. They ignored my presence, bickering at one another over meaningless things.

My eyes rolled as I sighed to myself and made my way over to the front counter. I shook my head and came to stand next to Sumire, who was busying herself with flipping through pages of a fashion magazine. She chewed on her gum a little before blowing a bubble and greeted me with a wave of her hand.

I waved back and sighed again. "This is getting out of hand. I didn't think word about me having a boyfriend would spread that fast."

Sumire nodded, blowing another bubble before popping it. "I know, huh? You should thank me for getting you so much publicity."

"Yeah, I mean things just… Wait. What?" My eyes narrowed as I caught onto what she had just said. I eyed her skeptically and slowly growled, "Sumire… What did you do?"

She shrugged and flipped another page through her magazine. "Nothing, really. I just spread the word that the pigtailed wearing, Mick Jagger fan-girl, Mikan Sakura, actually got hooked up for once. That's all, nothing more, nothing less."

A long moment of silence passed between us where neither one of us said a word. Appearing to catch on to my hard and massive scowling, Sumire slowly peeled her eyes away her magazine to look at me.

"What's with the glare all of a sudden?" she asked innocently. "I thought that I was doing you a favor by getting you so much attention. This will make even more boys want to go after you."

I clicked my tongue and growled, "You… always do things your way without hesitation, don't you?"

"Are we here to chat or are we here to make money?"

Making her own appearance, Hotaru clapped her hands as if to break up a fight. Her purple eyes flickered back and forth between Sumire and I as she said, "Time is money girls."

I huffed out a breath of air and turned to look at her. "Hotaru, am I so desperate that I need Sumire to help me with dating?"

"Yes."

What the… Seriously, was this cold-hearted woman before me really my best friend? I could only stare back in disappointment.

"Hotaru…"

"You, see?" Sumire said proudly, flipping her green bangs. "Even Imai knows where I'm coming from. Face it, Sakura, who knows how long your relationship with this Natsume look-alike will last." She grinned like a fox as if she had it all. "It's best to keep the men waiting in the palm of your hand. You have to think ahead of the game."

I blinked back twice, confused. "Natsume look-alike?"

Oh, that's right… I had almost forgotten that Sumire didn't know that I was dating the actual Natsume Hyuuga. She must still think that I was dating someone similar to him just like everyone else assumed.

Knowing Sumire, if she found out that my boyfriend turned out to actually be the famous seductive rock star that he was, she'd never let me live it down. I'd most likely be pressured to provide non-stop backstage passes and a never ending provision of concert tickets along with whatever else her fan-girl craves could demand of me.

"Well, yeah," Sumire shrugged simply as she popped another bubble of her gum. "Isn't your new boyfriend the Natsume look-alike that came in here last time? Even though I have no idea how Imai got you hooked up with a guy like that, I'd say you pretty much outdid yourself, Sakura. Not too bad."

I couldn't help but rub my nose and blush with a smug grin. "You think so, huh?"

"Don't get too overjoyed, idiot," Hotaru droned, ruining my moment. "You haven't been going out much with him lately, have you? Lately, you've been working more than anything and moping around the dorm room."

My heart almost pounded as she said those words. "T-that's not true. Today we're supposed to go on a date later on, so−"

"That's a lie."

I flinched at Hotaru's blunt fact and looked away to the floor. Damn Hotaru's keen sense and intellect! She always knew when I was lying or what things probably went wrong with me.

"I guess you kind of knew all along, huh, Hotaru?" There was no sense in trying to hide it anymore. "Truth is… I haven't really been able to meet up with Natsume at all these past two weeks."

As much as I hated to admit the fact… it was true that I hadn't been able to see Natsume in a while. He didn't answer much of my calls and the only time that he did, it was only so he could brush me off some more with a lame excuse of how we couldn't meet up. Honestly, it made me feel pitiful.

"What?" Sumire asked, almost choking on her gum. "But didn't you two just start going out ─ I mean, it's been a _while_, but it hasn't been _that_ long. What did you do, Sakura, bore him to death?"

"Oh, shut up, Sumire," I groaned, and buried my face on the counter. "It's just been really hard to get together with him lately… that's all."

No one said anything more as I rested my face on the surface of cool marble. I could tell what they were probably thinking. Most likely they pitied me right now on how things weren't going so well throughout my first relationship. I hated pity most of all.

"Well, besides that," I stood up straight and tried to sound reenergized, "Spring break is coming up soon. Do you guys plan on doing anything?"

Sumire chewed on her gum a little more before answering, "I dunno, probably spend my week's earnings at the mall. Get a hot outfit that suits my already perfect body. Check out the cute guys that come by. Maybe date two or more to see whose better at−"

"I'm having Ruka come over this Spring break," Hotaru interjected, causing Sumire to shoot a narrowed glare. "He'll be spending time with me since he's gotten time off from his restaurant."

"Ruka?" I asked excitedly. "I saw him on Food Network just the other night, Hotaru. I wouldn't be surprised if he was busy. He actually has the time to visit you?"

"It comes with a price," she stated simply. "I expect my taste buds to be satisfied with his next meal. And besides… we have something important to discuss."

I blinked back in confusion and asked, "Something to talk about?" Hotaru had never been the serious type when it came to relationship discussions. "What do you guys plan on talking about, huh, Hotaru? It must be pretty important."

Her violet pupils watched me for a brief five seconds as she looked away to the side. "It's… something kind of private," she answered. "Don't worry about it."

What the…

Sumire snorted at the sentence and scoffed, "Ha! Since when does Imai bother to have private discussions centered on her boyfriend?" She nudged me in the arm and winked. "Take note, Sakura. Imai could teach you a thing or two on how to have 'private' discussions in a relationship. One word: Breakup!"

Hotaru's stoic expression tensed slightly as she decided to snatch up Sumire's magazine. "New fashion trends for the incoming Spring, huh?" She clicked her tongue and grinned devilishly while walking off. "Hm. I think that I have a new favorite article to read while I'm on break."

"H-hold it right there, Imai!" Sumire called after her. "Get back here with my magazine!"

I watched Hotaru's back in silence as she took her leave. It was the first time in a while since I had seen her look so… frustrated about something. When I had asked her about Ruka and what they had planned on doing, it was as if she was trying to be careful on her choice of words ─ as if she didn't want to hurt my feelings.

_I wonder what she meant by that…_

Another week seemed to have shot by so fast that I forgot to keep track of the date.

_**Tip. Tip. Tip.**_

The rain continued to pelt down cold droplets of water released from the murky sky. It made everything around me seem so lifeless and boringly grey.

"Man, I hate the rain…"

I sighed a little to myself while doing my best to cover up with my pink cardigan. The week of Spring break had finally commenced and yet the sky decided to act up right out of nowhere. This was perfect…

Although the weather was a bit gloomy, I was grateful to be heading back to my college dorm so early. Work was cut short due to the lack of customers and Sumire nearly pushed me right out the door, rambling on about something of how the prettiest girl of all should at least stay on shift.

I shrugged and hummed a light tune. "Hotaru didn't come to work today. Maybe I'll have her watch Super 8 with me or something."

As much as I would love to be having a date with my supposed 'boyfriend' other than watching a movie with my best friend, I knew in my head that it wasn't going to happen. Things weren't going so well as far as trying to meet up with Natsume.

He had been disregarding my calls for the longest and it wasn't a very likeable feeling. No matter how hard I tried to dismiss the sinking feeling of despair ─ not to mention rejection, I just couldn't shake it off.

I guess it was to be expected. He was a popular rock star and that would definitely call for some busy trips left and right throughout his career. But even despite the fact that our profiles, backgrounds, and reputations were evidently different by comparison, there was something that I couldn't lie to myself about.

I loved Natsume.

Hell, not a day passed by where I wasn't thinking about the insensitive jerk. Sure, he had been dismissing our dates off and putting even the planned ahead dates 'on hold.' He ignored most of my calls and stopped sending annoyingly blunt text messages about how he only wanted to make out just for the fun of it. The jerk even continued to make me feel like a complete fool, hoping that he would give me a call right out of the blue.

"He's such an idiot," I mumbled to myself.

My footsteps continued on through the many rain puddles until at last, I had finally reached the college dorm. I made my way through the double-glass doors of Alice Hall and trudged my way up the stairs.

Feeling a little excited about watching one of the best sci-fi films of all time, I added a light skip to my walk and giggled at the thought of Hotaru watching Super 8 with me. She always hated long feature length films with a sense of mystery. According to her taste, it took too long to get to the point.

I skipped down the hall and neared closer to my dorm until something odd quickly caught my attention. If I didn't know any better… I'd say that the door had been opened.

There was a small crack through the door that brought forth a sense of worry. I studied the door closely and frowned. It was never like Hotaru to simply leave the door unlocked so carelessly. She had given me too many whaps upside the head for me to forget that much.

Curious, I was just about to make my way through the door until…

"You should at least talk to her you know."

Wait a second… I could've sworn that I just heard Hotaru's voice. Was she talking to someone?

"At least give her a call so she doesn't have to mope around so much. It's driving me crazy."

"That's right, man. Hotaru does have a point."

My ears nearly perked up after hearing the sound of another familiar voice. If I didn't know any better… I'd say that Ruka was in the room as well. My brows creased together at the thought of Ruka and Hotaru being in the same room alone.

_They've gotten that far already…?_

Things had definitely turned out strange. It sounded like they were talking to someone else. Being discreetly quiet as possible, I leaned my ear closer to the crack of the door and tried to listen in on them a little more.

"I can see where she's coming from. Don't you think it's best to talk to her, Natsume?" Ruka sighed tiredly. "At least let her know why you've been ignoring her these past two weeks. She deserves to know."

_Natsume…!_

That one name was enough to make me shriek. I held back a loud gasp and nearly dropped my bag to the floor. It took just about everything of me to stay still while putting a hand to quickly cover over my mouth.

_No way!_

Not only was Ruka here my dorm room, but the very same guy that had been ignoring my presence for days was actually in the room too. My own boyfriend!

I rested my hand on the doorknob, contemplating on whether or not I should just go ahead and make my presence known. My teeth gritted together as I thought about the current situation. My own best friend, plus her boyfriend, and _my_ own boyfriend were in a room together… excluding me?

"Speak for yourself, Ruka. Do you know how hard it was, having to play this stupid game of pretend?"

My attentive hearing didn't miss a single word of that one especial voice. I could recognize just about everything about it: Husky. Monotone. Velvet-like smooth.

It was as if the rushing of pummeling waves were continuously pushing gravity on top of my shoulders. Just hearing the voice of the man that I loved was enough to drive me crazy.

I tightened my grip on the doorknob as my lips softly whispered, "Natsume?"

He didn't sound too happy. His voice was hinted with a flicker of annoyance. It was so unlike him to sound so frustrated. I did nothing more as I listened for the rest to come.

"It was dumb as hell ─ having to put up this stupid Mick Jagger profile just so that she could fall for me. Not only that, but I was forced to eat sweets. And Ruka, you know that I hate sweets." He groaned aloud and sighed. "It was all so stupid and… so fake! To top it all off, that naïve little girl was actually stupid enough to believe me too."

"She has those quirks, Hyuuga. That was to be expected." It was Hotaru's voice this time around. "It's not like you didn't know what you were getting yourself into. I told you beforehand what to expect from someone like her."

"Imai, don't give me that crap. You didn't tell me she would go_ that_ far for my fake act. Besides, that doesn't matter now. I don't think that I can go through with this anymore."

"It was all for your sake in the end though, Natsume." Ruka's ringing voice of compromise took over the conversation. "You promised that you would consent to dating Mikan if it would be any help to you at all. It was all for the sake of forgetting about _her_, wasn't it?"

A long amount of silence engulfed the room.

"Yeah, I know, Ruka… I only decided to date that little girl just so I could forget about… Oh, the hell with all this!" Natsume groaned again in frustration. "That doesn't matter now. I'm tired of playing this stupid game, I can't take it."

By this time I could feel my teeth grinding together. I felt as if an anchor was sinking deeper and deeper inside my chest. That was enough… I didn't want to hear another word.

"I can't lie to myself anymore, Ruka. No matter how hard I try, I just… I don't know how to tell Mikan that I−"

_**Ccrreak!**_

The shifting of the door came about as I finally decided to make my entrance. Almost immediately, everyone had ceased with their conversation and focused their attention to me.

I noticed Hotaru's violet eyes nearly widen as she softly muttered the word, "Damn," under her breath.

Ruka was sitting on top of a loveseat before deciding to slowly stand up. "Mikan?" he asked, shocked.

Last but of course, not least, was the raven haired bachelor who was seen casually leaning against the side of a wall. His arms were laxly folded over his chest with one foot pressed against the wall as his ruby red eyes settled on me.

Our eyes met immediately as he stuttered out, "M-Mikan…"

It didn't make sense. Why was this happening? After all this time, I had finally gotten the chance to see him but... this wasn't right. This wasn't right at all. I had so much bitterness building within me, but I had the strangest urge to run over and embrace him. It had been so long since I had seen him last.

I clenched my now sweaty palms into fists. This wasn't right… Please, make this feeling disappear.

"It's not true," I said softly, still locking my eyes with ruby orbs. "Natsume? It isn't true… right? You didn't date me just to forget about someone else. Tell me that it's not true."

_Please tell me that it's not. Let me hear you say it._

No one said anything. It felt as if everything else had gradually subdued into the background where only Natsume and I were left to exist. He slowly allowed his arms to fall at his sides as he removed himself away from the wall.

His face gradually settled back into a blank stare. "I didn't mean for you to hear any of that…"

_No, don't say that. Those weren't the words that I wanted to hear, idiot!_

I could feel my heart almost sink. This felt like one of those heartbreaking scenes in the movie, Grease, where Sandy overhears Danny talking about how his feelings for her were worthless and nothing more than just 'fooling around.' It never occurred to me that something like this could actually happen in real life. This was such… a horrible feeling to have.

My fists started to sweat even more as I stared back in awe. This wasn't happening right now, was it? Natsume was only dating me just to forget about someone else? No…

"D-does this mean that…" I gulped, unable to finish my sentence. This was so stupid. I felt so stupid. "Natsume?"

"Sorry, Mikan," he said simply, keeping his stoic expression. "I'm not… I'm not the guy that you think I am." He huskily sighed then tussled at his raven hair and said, "Guess the secret's out now, huh?"

My eyes never left his lips. I watched in horror as he said the oncoming words that would decide my next move.

"I lied. I've been lying to you this whole time, Mikan. Sorry."

**- (Preview) -**

I knew better now. No matter what, I refused to play the fool.

His blue eyes sparkled in recognition as he excitedly shouted, **"Mikan!"**

Why would he do this now? What made him have to go this far out of nowhere?

"**I don't care what you say. You're not allowed to leave."**


	5. His Moves like Jagger

**Disclaimer: **I wish, but nope.

It's the Grand Finale!

**.**

**Chapter 5: His Moves like Jagger**

**.**

It all happened so fast that I wasn't even aware of my surroundings.

My heart was speedily beating and I could feel the adrenaline rushing throughout my body.

Before I knew it, my legs were moving on their own with my sight set on a pair of crimson eyes. Those eyes… Those same seductive, alluring, and dominating eyes that had won me over were now looking back at me in pity.

I hated that…!

_**Whap!**_

My hand reached out to give a good slap to Natsume's face as the sounding impact echoed aloud throughout the room. I gasped, not sure of what I had just done, but not willing enough to take it back. Natsume's face was just as taken aback as I was.

His eyes were lit up in shock, not expecting such a bold move from someone like me. I stared at him with widened eyes then felt my face gradually settle into a scowl. He deserved it…

"M-Mikan," Ruka stuttered, his blue eyes widening by my sudden actions. "Y-you… Ah…"

"Why did you lie to me?" I ignored him and focused on Natsume. "Why did you…?"

His earlier shock diminished into a stoic expression as he used his hand to slowly rub the red mark on his face. He winced in response to the pain, sighing as if such a bold slap wasn't necessary.

My teeth gritted together in frustration and I grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer to my face. "Natsume," I said his name, feeling my breaking point. "Why did you trick me like that? W-what did I ever do to you?"

He said nothing as his ruby-red eyes looked back at me in sorrow. They were filled with frustration, anger, and a loving tenderness that seemed to make me feel pissed off even more. I pulled at his shirt again, nearly digging my nails past the cotton material and into his skin.

"Natsume…"

His eyes flickered in response to the calling of his name and his jaw tensed slightly. His calloused hands gripped a hold to both of my wrists and tightened as he creased his brows together. "Mikan… I didn't mean to lie to you like that."

"Then why?" I demanded, still fighting back my tears. "Everything that you did was just a fake… made up world for me to live in? Natsume, I don't─"

"It's not like I wanted to lie to you," his voice breathed out in frustration. "But I…"

"Mikan…" I turned to find my best friend looking at me. Her purple eyes held my gaze before she closed them with a sigh. "Damn it all… Mikan, I never wanted to hurt your feelings like this."

"And you!" I glared daggers at the one that I trusted most. "You're supposed to be my best friend. What kind of a friend are you to make a fool out of me like this, Hotaru?"

She took the time to approach me slowly. "Mikan, that's not the case. Just listen to me."

"Please calm down, Mikan," Ruka pleaded as he stopped Hotaru from moving by her shoulder. "I hate to see you so upset like this."

I couldn't believe what was happening. These people that I thought were my friends, my lover, and my… companions? They wanted to hurt my feelings and make me look like a fool?

My palms balled into fists as I snarled out, "You're all liars!"

This was just so damn perfect. It felt as if I had an open wound where someone continued to pour salt into it, adding more and more excruciating pain.

My tears were falling fast now, uncontrollable and blinding my sight. I cursed myself for being so weak in front of the ones responsible. I hated crying, I hated tears, and I hated myself so damn much right now.

Ready to bolt for the door, I gathered the will to move until suddenly…

"Don't go…" A strong hand reached out for my wrist, tugging at it with force.

I gasped at the sudden contact, turning my head to face Natsume. For whatever reason, I couldn't force myself to move when his hand reached out for me. I felt hopeful and felt that I wanted… needed him to convince me not to go.

"Natsume…"

He flinched back, unsure as how to act. His brows furrowed together as he clenched his teeth. "Don't… Damn… Just listen to me first." His grip tightened more and his eyes held my gaze. "…I'm sorry."

My jaw clenched with my teeth as I scowled back at him. Sorry? That was all he could say?

"Don't waste your breath," I growled, swapping my wrist away from his grasp, "Because I hate you!"

"Mikan!"

I ran for dear life, ignoring the calling of my name. There was so much anger building within me that I was ready to kill anything that dared to cross my path.

**.**

_**Thump. Thump. Thump.**_

"Mikan…"

The pounding knocks continued from the other side of the door. I sat crouched on the tiled floor with only a pile of crumpled used tissues to keep me company.

"Mikan, I know that you can hear me. Will you just come out and talk to me."

Hotaru's monotone voice could still be heard, hinted with frustration and hopeful pleading. She knocked harder on the door and cursed something under her breath. I balled up a few tissues together and threw them at the door, knowing that it wouldn't have any impact but felt damn good anyway.

"I'm your best friend, Mikan."

"Friends don't lie to friends," I countered, tearing off another two pieces of tissue from the roll. "I'm not coming out."

She paused for a good moment before speaking. "…Look, I know that what I did was wrong. You have every right to be upset with me, but don't you think that cooping yourself up in a dirty bathroom is too much?"

I blew my nose louder than a trumpet to show her that I wasn't listening. It was going to take more than that to get me out of this bathroom.

"…Alright, Mikan, you've left me no choice."

Sniffling through small tears, I waited patiently to see what her next move would be. I heard a faint sigh and the sound of… crumpled paper? I wonder what she was doing…

"I've got something that you love more than life itself, even more than Mick Jagger." Her voice was teasing with a singing melody of a five-year old. She shook something of what sounded like a bag and tapped the door. "I have a bag of your favorite fluff puffs."

I gasped, knowing all too well that my wall had been broken. Fluff puffs were the one sweet, soft and heavenly thing in this world that could make my mouth water. Damn Hotaru's brilliant mind…

"Don't you want some, Mikan?"

I didn't bother to respond and did my best to bite back my tongue. How long could I keep this up…?

She sighed again and I heard her rip open the bag. "Well… Since you're just going to stay there all day, I guess that you don't mind if I help myself to─"

_**Ccrreak!**_

The door opened slowly. A pair of violet eyes stared back at me in amusement.

I poked my head through the crack of the door and irresolutely muttered, "You've got fifteen minutes."

Hotaru's eyes rolled before she handed me the bag of fluff puffs. "Mikan… I know that you're upset with what I did. But I only did it to help you out in your love life."

"Hotaru, tricking a guy to pretend to be in love with me does not mean that you're helping me." I popped a fluff puff in my mouth and almost died from satisfaction. "You hurt my feelings… He hurt my feelings."

"But it's not what you think," Hotaru sighed out. She crouched down into a sitting position so that we were face to face. "He was just... doing his best to get over heartbreak."

"By using me," I sneered, burying my face into my knees.

I knew better now. No matter what, I refused to play the fool.

"Would you just shut up and listen?" Hotaru forced me to look at her as she cupped both sides of my face within her hands. "Mikan, I'm sorry. If anything, hurting your feelings was the last thing that I wanted to do. I didn't mean it."

"But you did hurt my feelings," I sniffed back.

"Mikan, I just wanted you to get out more that was all." Laughing a little to herself, Hotaru pinched my cheek and smiled somberly. "Natsume was a longtime friend who was looking for a relationship, and he seemed just like the perfect match for you at the time. He really did like you, you know."

I pondered over that thought and shook my head. "He pretended to act like somebody that he wasn't just to fool me, Hotaru."

"That's not…"

"Why did he lie to me, Hotaru?" It hurt thinking about Natsume. I really loved him… "Why did he make me feel so wanted?"

Hotaru simply smiled and gave a light flick to my forehead.

I smiled back, still trying to force a scowl. "…I'm still mad at you, you know."

"I know, but at least you're talking to me."

"Ahem!"

A faint snort came about as we both snapped our heads up to find a disenchanted Sumire standing before us. She had her green hair pinned up with curlers as she stood in her pink nightgown, arms crossed over her chest while tapping her foot at the floor.

She scratched at her head and sighed at our loving friendship display. "Are you guys done yet? I need the bathroom too, you know."

"Sorry, Sumire," I laughed nervously, rubbing the back of my head. "Thanks for letting me… cry in your bathroom."

She shrugged a little, clicking her tongue as if to brush off any hard feelings. "Oh, it's not a big deal. But seriously," she said, snapping her fingers. "I really need you to get out. I need the bathroom so I can apply my facial."

Hotaru's eyes narrowed with a crinkled nose as she asked, "Facial?"

Sumire put both hands on either side of her hips with her nose high in the air. "Beauty is essential, ladies."

Shaking my head with a roll of my eyes, I couldn't help but laugh. Ah, Sumire Shouda... Only in dramatic situations like these could her drama queen episodes come in handy.

**.**

It had been about six weeks since my heartbreaking episode with Natsume. Things weren't getting any better; even the excessive amount of hours from work weren't enough to keep him off my mind.

"Thank you, come again!"

I bid my last customer farewell with a cheerful smile and took my checkbook from off the table. Well, here's cheers to another boring Friday afternoon where I was wasting myself away in Central Café.

My feet practically trudged back to the front counter and I found myself sighing miserably. Was this how life as a college girl should feel like? Work, study, and mope about the place over the man that you loved?

Natsume was still on my mind and what was worse… was the fact that he was still in my heart. I hated myself for feeling like this. Was he even thinking about me in the same way?

"Mikan…"

"Eh?" I turned my head to find my best friend approaching. "Hey, Hotaru, I didn't see you there."

She clocked me on top of the head with her checkbook and smiled. "Daydreaming about a certain rock star again?"

I blushed and snorted while looking away. "…No."

"That's fine and all," she drawled, counting off her tip of twenties, "but you should at least daydream about him during your break. Time is money, you know."

"Ladies!"

Right on cue with her squealing of excitement, Sumire Shouda came to join us at the counter. She hopped up and down with so much energy that I could've sworn that she had gulped down a whole pack of Red Bull.

"Ladies, ladies, look at this!" She squealed again and plopped a magazine on top of the counter. "Check this out!"

I scanned over the picture of the article and the underlined words that read: Jet R3D. "This is…"

Sumire flipped her green bangs away from her face and said, "It's the latest issue of the hottest band ever! Jet R3D!"

What did she say? "What?" I cocked my head to the side and asked, "Who's that?"

Rolling her eyes like I was hopeless, Sumire shook her head. "Well, duh. Mikan, don't you watch music videos?" She held up the article and squealed, "Their one of the hottest bands of the century, and their leader is the sexiest man alive!"

"That right?" I asked, popping a piece of chewing gum into my mouth. "That doesn't sound like much."

Sumire crinkled her nose. "Do you have any taste in men?" She shrugged with a sigh and said, "Well, you must. After all, your old boyfriend looks just like the band leader. Natsume Hyuuga is the man of my dreams!"

I choked on my piece of gum, nearly swallowing it whole and gawked at her like crazy. "W-what did…? N-Natsume H-Hyuuga?"

Hotaru gave a hard pat against my back as I gasped for air. "Didn't you know that?" she asked like the answer was obvious. She raised both brows and said, "He's the lead guitarist and vocals of Jet R3D. I thought you 'knew' this."

Oh that's right… I had completely forgotten that Natsume was a popular rock star. It never dawned on me to ask him about his band though. Boy did I feel stupid right now.

I shook my head and twirled one of my pigtails around my fingers. "I guess I never… asked about it."

"Well, anyway," Sumire continued, presenting a chest cough, "the band is supposed to be hosting a special get-together at a luxurious suite for two months during summer break. All of the hottest celebs will be there, and anyone with a free ticket in can go as well!"

"I'll be going," Hotaru said with a tired sigh. She shrugged as if the thought wasn't half bad. "After all, Ruka is close friends with the band. It'll be nice to get away during the summer."

Sumire stared back in awe for a brief moment before narrowing her eyes and muttering, "…Showoff." She sighed dejectedly, hugging her magazine close to her chest. "Ah, well that goes to show how lucky you are to have a celebrity chef for a boyfriend, Imai. If only I were that lucky."

I felt my heart sink a little as I pondered over the facts. So Natsume was the leader of a popular band? There was so much that I didn't know about him after all…

"Mikan," Hotaru called my name aloud, "take this."

I blinked, coming back to realization and suddenly found a bag of food being shoved to my chest. "H-huh? What's this?"

Hotaru flicked my forehead and said, "It's time to snap out of your depressed mode already." Her violet eyes glinted with a certain seriousness. "I need you to deliver that order for me."

"Already?" I asked, grunting under my breath. Man, I was really starting to hate Fridays. "Ah, this really bites… Where to?"

"It's at a hotel," Hotaru drawled, handing me a piece of paper. "Here. The address is written down for you. You'll know what to do once you get there."

For some reason, I didn't really get what she meant by that last sentence. I arched a skeptic brow and asked, "What do you mean by─?"

"Now," was Hotaru's only command as she walked away.

I groaned, hating the fact that I had more work to do on a boring Friday. My brows rose as I studied the piece of paper. Just what made Hotaru want me to deliver a sudden order anyway?

**La Monte Suites**

**Building Number: 1406 – 76233**

My eyes gawked at the massive building that was practically towering over me.

Limos horded the outside of the hotel and people wearing the finest clothes of luxury continued to make their way in and out through the double-glass doors. In all honesty, I felt kind of out of place, what with delivering a simple order in my attired maid uniform.

I shrugged, scratching my head. "Well, this must be the place."

"Excuse me…"

"Eh?" I turned around to find a stunningly handsome man with coal-black hair standing in front of me. "Oh, h-hello…?"

He wore a pair of black shades covering his face and they glistened in the sunlight as he neared closer. His brows rose as if inspecting me from the bottom up. I backed away, skeptical of his presence. What the world was with this guy?

He clicked his tongue and asked, "Your last name… Is it Sakura?"

I nodded and took another step back. "W-who are…?"

A smile grazed on his lips before he took off his shades. His blue eyes sparkled in recognition as he excitedly shouted, "Mikan!"

"Ah! What are you doing?" I stumbled backwards, surprised by his sudden embrace. "Do I know you?"

He released me, rubbing the back of his head and laughed. "Oh, sorry, my fault. I guess you don't remember me, huh?" He pointed to himself and winked. "I'm the guy that took your pictures at the park. You know ─ the picture date with Natsume?"

It took a little while for everything to settle. I stared back a few more seconds, pointed, and then gasped, "…Oh! It is you!"

He nodded, "Yeah, it's been awhile. My name's Tsubasa by the way. Tsubasa Andou." After sighing in relief he waved his hand over and called out, "Hey Youichi, get over here!"

It surprised me to see another handsome face as he made his way over. He walked casually with both hands shoved into his jeans. I took notice of his Burberry leather hat and the odd sense that he looked almost like… Natsume.

His silver hair and teal-grey eyes were to die for. He looked a little annoyed as he asked, "Tsubasa, why the hell are you yelling so loud?"

Tsubasa pointed to me and said, "Look, look! This is the girl that I've been talking about."

The one called Youichi arched a skeptic brow with a long, "Hm?" and eyed me fully. "So you're the one. Ch… Are you even that special?"

I crinkled my nose at his shrewd comment. "What's your problem?" Next, I looked back over to Tsubasa with a tired expression, "And it's nice to see you again, but I'm busy right now. I've got an order to─"

"Yeah, yeah, we know," Tsubasa cut me off, taking me by the arm. "Just come on inside the hotel and we'll take you to where you need to go."

"Ah, this is hopeless…" Youichi sighed as he came to stand beside me, gripping a hold of my other arm. "Is she even worth all this trouble?"

Before I even had the time to realize it, I was suddenly being hauled off like a prisoner. I blinked back in disbelief, looking to my left and right as my feet scuffed across the ground.

"W-where are you two taking me?" Was this seriously happening right now? "Let go, let go right now!"

They ignored my whining and forced me inside of the hotel. This just didn't make any sense ─ what was with these guys?

After taking an elevator for the fourth floor, we came to a good stop in front of a door. Tsubasa was busy unlocking it while Youichi kept a firm hold to both my arms. I cursed under my breath, demanding him that I be released in which he snorted back.

I tried to wrangle free from his grasp. "Let go I said!"

Tsubasa laughed excitedly. "Alright, we're here now." He opened the door and bowed respectfully, "Okay, ladies first."

Next thing I know, Youichi had shoved me so hard into the room that I fell face forward to the floor. Clutching my food delivery in my hand, I groaned and situated myself upright. Then next, the door closed shut immediately and I could hear the sound of the locks shifting.

My eyes widened as I ran to the door and tried the knob. "H-hey! What the hell is this?"

A light tap came from the other end of the door. "Just be a good girl and you'll see for yourself," I heard Tsubasa say.

"Hey!" I tried twisting the knob again, knowing that it was futile, but I was mad as hell. "Dammit. Come on!"

The only response I received were a few snickers from behind the door and a distant trail of retreating footsteps. I continued gawking back at the door a little longer before exasperating a heavy sigh. This was just great…

"What kind of room is this anyway?" I muttered to myself, taking in the interior about the suite.

It had a taste of its own.

The walls were all aligned with red and black paint with a couple of Nirvana band posters. There was a large mass of popcorn covering up the carpet floor and mounts of feathers trailing along the couch as if someone decided to have an all-out pillow fight. What took me by surprise was the decorative set of guitars and bright red drum set that took up the dining room.

If I didn't know any better… I'd say that this room belonged to a group of rockers.

I sneered at the sight of a red thong hanging off the edge of a chair. Ha ─ I knew it.

And then the thought of why the hell Hotaru made me come all the way out to such a wasted hotel room made me all but laugh. Geez, there wasn't even anyone around to pay for the order. What was going on here?

"Mikan…"

As if on instinct, I gasped in response to that one familiarly rugged voice.

I froze for three longs seconds, bit my lip, and slowly turned my head to find an unexpected face. My jaw dropped with quivering lips.

I was met with a pair of crimson orbs that were intensely dominating and I could feel my insides melt. He wore nothing but a pair of dark jeans, and his bare chiseled chest was just so tempting that I felt myself blush.

"N-Natsume…"

He stared on in disbelief and sighed. "I can't believe it." He placed a hand to his head and laughed to himself. "That Andou… His plan worked after all."

"Andou?" I asked him, blinking back in confusion. Ah, now it all makes sense… "…So you mean to say that this was all a set-up to lure me here?"

"Well, at least you came."

Seriously, was he ignoring the question or what? I took notice of the hopeful gleam in his eyes and the strange fact that he was more than relieved to see me than I was to see him. And then the thought of WHY I was so relieved to see him in the first place made me… angry.

Why would he do this now? What made him have to go this far out of nowhere?

I snorted and looked away, but noticed from the side of my peripheral vision that he was taking steps towards me. Immediately, I was on the defense and came to stand by the couch. He arched a questioning brow in my direction, taking one more step forward in which I took another three steps back.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

I presented a chest cough instead and asked, "That Andou guy… He was the same guy that took our pictures on our second date that one time, wasn't he?"

Natsume's brows rose before narrowing his eyes as if he were trying to scrutinize my thoughts. "More or less. But in actuality, he's really a guitarist lead in my band."

I stared back at him, biting my lip. "In your band? Jet R3D?"

"I'm impressed, little girl," he smirked, folding both arms across his bare chest. "I don't ever recall telling you the name of my band before."

I blushed, scolding myself for giving away that fact and countered, "It was just a lucky guess."

Natsume laughed huskily and mused a long "Hm?" as if in thought. His red orbs studied me from the bottom up and then… a devious grin tugged at his lips.

I scrunched my nose in disgust. "W-what are you looking at?"

He clicked his tongue before answering, "Your skirt is pretty short. I can almost see up your thighs."

"Wha-?" I gasped, completely forgetting that I was still dressed in my maid uniform. Doing my best to fight back a blush, I tried to pull the hem of my skirt down. "S-shut up! This is a uniform requirement."

His lips slightly twitched like he was trying to hold back a laugh but that didn't stop him from practically undressing me with his eyes.

"…Uniform, huh?" he snorted, grinning in response to me scowling.

"That's it!" I huffed out, throwing the damn order that I had been holding to the floor. "I did my job and since you have nothing else to say, I'm leaving." I stomped off towards the door, cursing under my breath.

"Stop." I flinched in response to the sharp demanding tone and turned back to Natsume. His eyes were no longer filled with amusement, but rather he looked more pissed off than anything. "You can't just leave."

"W-why the hell not?" I stuttered out. He could look rather intimidating when he wanted to be. "Look, if you're done here, I'd like to head back to work. I'm still on the clock."

"Imai won't care if you're late."

I blinked back and asked, "H-Hotaru? Then that means… She's a part of this too, isn't she?" Right then and there, I counted off every pieces of the puzzle before letting everything settle in my head. No wonder… "That's it, I'm out of here."

"Mikan, I just want to─"

"Did you have fun?" I abruptly turned back to look at him and quickly added, "Watching me make a fool out of myself the second time?" He frowned, evidently upset that I wasn't listening to him. "First you pretend to care about me and now you call me out here to laugh it up in my face again? You're such a… moron!"

"Dammit, Mikan, it's not like that. Just listen!" He cursed under his breath, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not into any other girl except for you."

"Yeah?" I begged to differ. Snorting in disbelief, I picked up the sinful, red piece of lingerie from off the chair and held it up. "Then what's this, eh?"

His eyes squinted together then widened with a drop of his jaw. "That… It's not what you think."

"It's not, huh?"

"It belongs to one of Andou's old girlfriends," Natsume quickly managed to say. He sighed, tussling at his raven hair and huffed out, "Come on, Mikan, damn… I'm doing my best here! I'm trying to tell you that I'm sorry."

"I don't want to hear it," was my gritted out response as I placed my hand on the knob. "You hurt my heart, made a fool out of me, and pretended to be something that you weren't."

"Mikan…"

"Leave me alone, already!"

Refusing to listen to anymore, I opened the door to leave but found a hand slamming it shut. I gasped, looking up to find a pair of malicious crimson eyes staring down at me.

Natsume stood over me, denying me a chance for exiting. "I don't care what you say. You're not allowed to leave."

I tried to pry his hand away from the door. "Let go!"

"You're going to listen to me," he clenched one of my hands tight and pulled me to his hard chest, "whether you like it or not, little girl!"

"No!"

Before I even had the chance to gasp or blink, I was suddenly hauled by the wrist and forcefully being shoved to the couch.

Natsume gripped tightly to both my arms and had me pinned to the cushions as he practically towered over my small frame. I tried to struggle aimlessly, ignoring the wreaking stink of cheese puffs as my face turned sideways into the cushion.

It was like de ja vu all over again as I found myself in this position… being pinned by the same seductive man that I had come to love.

I grunted, demanding him that I be set free, but he refused. My next attempted move was to kick him in the groin in which he flinched and growled maliciously, sending shivers down my spine. I froze immediately, mustering up enough courage to give the meanest scowl that I could.

And the guy smirks… He actually smirks ─ grins at my feigned attempt for challenging him. That did it. I shifted again, thrashing my legs about but he wasn't having that. His amused brows were quick to dissolve into a displeased frown as his body weight pressed further on top of me.

I ceased at the sight of his chiseled chest coming into contact with mine and tried to break my wrists free. He growled again, much more demanding this time around and neared his face closer to where our noses were practically touching.

Next, he used one of his hands to move my own, forcing my palm to touch his muscular features. I flinched at the feeling of hard abs and the rushing, seductive scent of cinnamon-wood.

"Don't...!" I breathed out, closing my eyes.

I tried to pull my hand back, but his grip only tightened. His masculine strength out powered my useless struggles and I could feel my veins inside my wrist nearly popping from his hard squeeze.

"It hurts…" I whispered, fighting back tears. I opened my eyes, meeting his dark ruby orbs. "Please…"

His face was heavily guarded and his brows still furrowed. I stared back into his hazed, crimson eyes and watched them flicker with… sadness. His grip loosened on my wrist as he sternly held onto it before guiding my palm over his beating heart.

"It hurts here…" his husky voice stated, almost desperate to get the words out.

I could feel his eyes melting me down every way possible. My fingers brushed against his hard chest and he shuddered, allowing my wrist free as I brought my hand up to cup the side of his face.

Unsure of what I was doing, I lightly brushed over his lips, loving the feel of his hot breath tickling against my neck.

"Natsume…"

It was strange. For some reason, I felt as if all of his emotions were being embedded within me. It was as if I could understand him without the conveying of words.

He smiled in response to the calling of his name. I felt him breathe out a sigh of relief as his forehead touched mine.

"Mikan…"

I opened my mouth to speak but felt my lips thin into a smile. Shaking my head, I laughed and said, "Why are you so stubborn?"

He snorted under his breath, "Because you wouldn't listen to me any other way." Next, he gave a boyish grin. "And you're just as stubborn as me."

"You're such a… jerk."

He shrugged and simply added, "But you love that about me, don't you?"

"…Why did you hurt me like that, Natsume?"

It didn't seem like he expected the sudden change of topic. His jaw tensed a little as he looked away for a split second before I forced him to look at me fully. He frowned and said, "Mikan… I never meant to hurt you." He closed his eyes and sighed, "Truth… Did you think that I liked you from the moment we met?"

"…No."

"Wrong." I looked up to meet his crimson eyes and his teasing grin. He cupped his chin and said, "You intrigued me from the very start."

My mouth went dry for a moment as I stared back at him. "I-I did? What… You're lying."

"Hotaru showed me a picture of you once. I thought you looked like a mindless little girl." He snorted with a shrug at my displeased scowl. "It's the truth."

"You're such a─"

He quickly interjected, "You were loud, innocent, and…" His eyes roamed over my chest with a coy smile. "…I had the strongest urge to undress you once I saw you in that sexy top."

I swatted his hand away which was teasing at my thigh. "You really are a pervert." After giggling a little to myself, I flicked his nose playfully and asked, "Truth. Do you really hate sweets?"

"Yes," he answered in a matter of fact tone and quickly added, "But when you bought me chocolate ice-cream on our second date, I swore that I never tasted anything so good."

I arched a brow in response. "That's because you said that you liked the flavor of my tongue when you were…" Unable to finish off my sentence, I bit my lip, blushing a little at the thought.

His smirk became smug as he finished with, "When I was kissing you like crazy?"

"Natsume!" I cried, burying my face into his chest and hit his arm. "Stop teasing so much."

"I love you, Mikan."

Wait a second. Did he just…? My ears must have heard wrong. I never heard him say those three words to me at all during the time that we were together, not once.

I gasped, slowly lifting my hesitating gaze to look at him. "…What?"

He groaned, rolling his eyes and buried his head into the crook of my neck. I could feel the heat brushing at my skin from his cheeks. Was he blushing right now?

"Don't make me say it again," he muttered into the folds of my skin.

My heart went a flutter and my mind was dazed. And then, a sudden thought crossed my mind where I had to restrain myself from getting so hopeful.

I absentmindedly ran my fingers through his raven tresses and asked, "What about the other girl? What about… the one that you were trying to forget?"

Slowly, he lifted his face away from my neck and looked back into my eyes. "I had loved someone once. Or at least… I thought it was love, but it wasn't." His brows furrowed as he said, "I fooled myself in the game of pretend to where only one of us was happy."

I didn't know what to say. My fingers touched his lips, hoping to make up for being at a loss for words. He looked back into my eyes and I could feel myself melting again within his dark pools of red.

"But with you, I can't explain myself. You irritated me at times when you started opening your mouth, but you were so damn tempting that I couldn't bear to stay away." His lips grazed the top of my forehead as his bangs tickled against my lashes. "I told myself over and over that dating you was just a means for me to get on with my life, but as time went on, I knew that I was just lying to myself again."

"Natsume…"

"I wanted you, Mikan," his voice spoke, almost yearning. "I wanted you to be mine and only mine. But… I knew that if you found out that I was just pretending to be something that I wasn't then you wouldn't want anything to do with me anymore."

There was so much warmth embedded within his words that I didn't know how to speak. I saw colors blocking my vision as I stared back into his eyes, loving the feel of his breath and the seductive scent that was engulfing me.

"You…" I brushed his bangs away with my thumb and smiled. "You're impossible, do you know that?"

Natsume placed a chaste kiss on top of my head and sighed. "I couldn't believe that a little girl like you actually fell for the Mick Jagger act." He snorted at the thought, "I don't know how I did all that."

I arched a curious brow in response. "Do you really like wearing leather pants?"

He shrugged and said, "It depends on my mood."

Biting my lip, I thought about the next question and tugged at his arm. "Truth. Do you think that I still like you?"

"…Yes."

"Wrong. I don't like you." I held back a laugh at his sour frown and enwrapped my arms around his neck. "I don't like you… because I love you."

"Why the hell did you have to─"

My lips immediately seized his as I felt them parting with a small gasp.

They were so soft, sensual, and tasted like roses and cinnamon spice. My body arched against his hard chest and it felt so right, so perfect ─ piecing together with his entire being. He growled at the sudden impact of our skin touching and I felt my mind going airborne at the feeling of his tongue seeping its way through my mouth. I could've died right then and there as he continued to work his magic.

This man was definitely in a category of his own when it came to kissing. He nipped, suckled at my bottom lip and I moaned into our heated kiss. I gasped for a quick breath of air, granting him full access to the side of my neck as he suckled on my skin. My fingers curled into his bare back and I shuddered at the loving touch from the man that I had come to love so much.

He pulled back to look at me and I smiled reassuringly. "I love you, Natsume."

Smirking down at me with an "I know you do," cocky grin, he kissed my lips fully. We lay silent for a while as I played with his raven bangs, loving the soft feel of his breath against my nose.

"Hey…"

"Hm?"

"…You wear polka-dotted panties?"

Hold on…

It felt like the sound of crickets chirping in the background as I stared back at him for a silent count of ten seconds. Feeling a light breeze catch me by, I noticed his hand placed a little too close to my thigh with my skirt hilted up.

His eyes roamed over the pattern a while longer before lazily looking back to me. He snorted, "I knew that you wore a polka-dotted bra, but the panties are another thing."

"…Natsume!"

His lips quickly covered over my mouth as his kiss sucked in my shrieking scream. I panted in small breaths, blushing mad, embarrassed, and dazed all in one. He smirked down at me, loving the evident scowl on my face.

"I love you too."

**.**

Well, well, this happens to be my very first story that I actually finished.

First, I just want to thank every awesome reader and loving reviewer for your support.

**weemeex, MistyAutumn, 12star98na, SilentVanilla, bl0oDtHRisTyd3ViL, sapphireangel09, Kuroichibineko, Meocaroba, anim3gurl, NatsumeandMikanForever**, abidethestance,** pwenie, XxpuffpuffxX, Babylion Sakura, Uknownred, broken emerald,** Ching, **DreamersNight,** **ButterKnife,** Raven, anon, Shawol, jia, **PassionInWriting, RandomDalmation326, sapphyre18, shade sakura knight, YamCAKE, GreenEmeraldGirlxoxo,** Natsume's 1 fangirl, **CeruleanDreamCat, asdfghjklnatsu97, Animegirlfreak17, f0r3vaH-y0urS.88, Ruby Romance, Dr. Scribble-Doodleyy, ThESeVeNDeaDlySiNZ, MiRinniChan, and spica14**

This concludes the story and it's over… But! As promised, I am working on the sequel for my fellow NxM fans. The story will be titled: Love is Ouch, a song by one of my favorite K-POP groups, 2ne1. Here's a sneak peek:

**Love is Ouch**

**Chapter One**

My eyes traced over the few remaining tables, hoping to find at least one customer ready to order. I tapped my pen against my checkbook and sighed.

Seeing that there was nothing better to do, I decided to make myself useful and picked up a tray of desserts from off the counter. Sumire gave a nod in my direction, gesturing her head towards the appointed table for the delivered order.

Work was so damn hard to get by with the remaining hours when you knew that you had a boyfriend waiting for you to get off. I couldn't wait to see Natsume.

A smile thinned at my lips as I thought about him sitting secluded to a table in the restaurant, one elbow propped upon the table, with his cheek cupped in his hand and a sour frown etched on his face. I thought about my bliss for having my very first boyfriend.

We had been going out as an official couple for about three weeks now. Now that I take the time to think about it… three weeks didn't sound like much, but it actually felt like a lot of time had passed by. Of course, I found it hard to meet up with Natsume whenever I could.

I sighed again, chewing on my tongue.

There was no doubt that he was consistently bombarded with non-stop interviews, and probably a massive crowd of endearing fan-girls. That T.V. interview that he was on just a while ago proves my point for his hectic scheduling. He was always… busy, doing his best to make time for us to be together. I laughed a little to myself, recalling the time that he actually cursed out his manager on the phone for popping an unexpected interview on our last date.

"I wonder what he's doing now…"

"H-hey! Watch out for─"

_**Clash!**_

"Ah!"

A sudden crash snapped me out of my thoughts as I found my tray of desserts falling to the floor. The porcelain glass plates were broken into shattered pieces and just before I could trip on top of the aftermath, I felt a hard grip pull at my wrist.

I gasped at the sudden contact of a hard chest being pressed against me. My eyes closed, expecting the worse to come.

"…Whew, that was a close one, huh?"

What…? It was a male's voice, soft and calming. I could've sworn that it sounded just like my boyfriend.

The sudden smell of peppermint and cinnamon engulfed my nostrils as I slowly opened my eyes, travelling up from a navy-blue leather jacket to a pair of black tinted shades.

Natsume was the first name that crossed my mind, but then I took notice of the snow-white hair and blinked back in awe. "E-eh? Who are…?"

He gave a sigh of relief and said, "You're lucky that I caught you, little lady."

I blushed a deep red, noticing how close our bodies were touching as he held me bridal style, nearly cradling me inside of his arms. "I-I'm very sorry," I apologized, pushing myself away as I bowed my head.

He shrugged like it wasn't such a big deal and gently helped me down. "Don't mind it. I'm just glad that you're alright."

Right when I was about to thank him, I felt something crack under my foot and looked down in horror. Oh, no! The tray of plates that I had been carrying were all broken, completely shattered into fragments. I groaned aloud, knowing full well that Hotaru wouldn't let this one slide from out of my paycheck.

"Oh, no… This is just great. Oh!" I looked back at the young man in worry. "Are you alright, sir? You could've been hurt, I'm so sorry."

He brushed off a few pieces of glass from his jeans and shrugged. "Like I said, don't mind it. Besides," he sighed and removed his shades from his face, "I got the chance to see a pretty face. What's there to complain about?"

I held back a gasp and felt my heart pounding uncontrollably.

This man was… insanely handsome! Not only was his voice similar to Natsume's, but his eyes were a metallic red; they were beautiful. Were there other guys with red eyes besides Natsume?

"A-ah…" the words were tucked behind my tongue. "T-thank you, um…?"

He arched both brows with a smile of amusement. "You don't know who I am?"

I could hear the sideline squeals of girls coming from the background as I slowly shook my head. "N-no, I'm afraid not."

His smile twitched as if he was restraining himself from laughing and he sighed, followed by a click of his tongue. "Ah, now that's interesting." He reached out to pick off a piece of glass away from my hair and smiled. "I'll make sure to remember your face though."

Feeling a blush coming on again, I pointed to myself and asked, "M-my face?"

One of his brows rose as he nodded and he shoved both hands into his pockets. I stood lifelessly still as he neared closer to me and whispered in my ear, "That's right. The face of my cute maid."

**.**

There it is guys. Of course, I plan to edit the real chapter in the future.

And if you were curious: No, just because the sequel is titled "Love is Ouch," does not mean that I won't end it with NxM. Actually...I have no idea how it will end yet, so I hope you look forward to it as much as I do, lol.

**Certain questions that have been asked:**

**Is this story really over?**

Yes, this story is over. I did say in the second chapter that this would be a five-chaptered story due to the fact that I planned on writing a sequel.

**What about the mystery girl? And what about the fans reactions to their relationship?**

That's the whole point of me creating a sequel to follow up with what happens later. I intentionally left out the mystery girl and other aspects of Natsume and Mikan's relationship for that purpose. If I explained it now, then... I'd be spoiling the fun for the next story. :P

**Does Sumire know that Mikan's dating the real Natsume Hyuuga?**

Again, that's the point of me creating a sequel for all of the unexplained events. All answers will come in time, I left them out on purpose that's all. :)

Well, I hope I cleared most of that up for the readers. Once again, please look forward to the sequel. Hopefully, I can get it posted soon once finals are over and after a good brain break.

Thanks so much for your support. I'm eternally grateful towards your kindness. :))

How about a review for one last good ol' time? Hope to see you in the sequel!

**~Pinkpocket23**

**~Fin**: 4/10/2012


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